BMW Group Press Conference, Geneva Auto Salon 2016


Dialogue about R35 and i3:

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG
and Annette Gerlach, Presenter

 

 


Speech:


Dr. Ian Robertson
(HonDSc), Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and
Marketing BMW, Sales Channels BMW Group

 

Hello, it’s great to be back in Geneva!

 

Welcome to the legendary power of BMW M!

 

And this is the car which set the stage for that extraordinary
success story.

The 2002 turbo was the most powerful car in the 02 Series, which
became famous for its sporty, lightweight and compact sedans. It was
also Europe’s first turbocharged production car.

 

Customers were thrilled by the 170 BHP, maximum speed of 211 km per
hour and acceleration in the order of 7 seconds from 0 to 100. Back in
1973, it began the tradition of BMW’s compact, high-performance sports cars.

 

Today, I’m very proud to present a car which continues the spirit of
the 2002 turbo – our first ever BMW M2 Coupé! It is the
very “soul” of what BMW stands for. The strong heart of the BMW M2
Coupé is its three-litre straight-six Twin Turbo engine that delivers
370 hp and a sprint from 0 to 100 in 4.3 sec.

With benchmark agility and driving dynamics, and a highly emotional M
design language, it has all it takes.

 

We’ve just completed the international media drive and the response
was overwhelming: I quote, “the M2 is M in its purest form”, and “In a
word, brilliant!” Market launch is next month and I’m delighted that
there has already been very high demand for this car.

 

Now, for those who want an even more intense experience, here it is –
the world premiere of the BMW M2 Coupé with M Performance
Parts
! All components are the result of BMW’s extensive racing
experience and have been especially designed for the areas of
aerodynamics, cockpit and suspension.  You’ll also find these parts on
the BMW M2 MotoGP Safety Car, which debuts this season.

 

They feature an extensive range of aerodynamic components from carbon
fiber as well as the first retrofitted coil-spring suspension.

 

Combined, they create a car without compromise.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Packed with power and once again setting the benchmark – that’s the
BMW M2 – that’s the “ultimate driving machine”.

 

Thank you.

 


Speech:


Klaus Fröhlich, Member of
the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development

 

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

It’s great to be here again.

 

I have a personal connection to this generation – the second – of the
BMW 7 Series. When I joined BMW in 1987, it had just been launched and
it was a real inspiration for me.This particular car was built in
1993. Its generation was the first in decades to bring back
twelve-cylinder engines made in Germany. This enabled the BMW 7 Series
to take the lead in its segment because of the new technologies it
could offer.

 

You see, the 7 Series has always been – and will remain – our
pinnacle of innovation. It reflects our claim to leadership in the
premium segment.

 

The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series has been on the market since
the end of last year and it has set new benchmarks in the luxury
segment – in driving dynamics, efficiency, lightweight construction
and driver assistance systems.

For the first time, we are now expanding our offering for the 7
Series lineup under the label of the BMW M and BMW i brands.

 

We already offer successful M Performance models for the 1 Series, 2
Series, X5 and of course there’s the brand-new X4 M40i. The M
Performance models stand for a particularly dynamic driving
experience. BMW i, on the other hand, underscores our commitment to be
leader in innovation and new technologies. We now want to give
customers the opportunity to experience ‘born electric’ in our BMW
core brand as well. Transferring our expertise from BMW i, we will
offer the 7 Series – and all other electrified BMW models – under BMW
iPerformance as of July 2016.

 

These two models here perfectly represent the full scope and strength
of our model portfolio.

 

The BMW 740e
iPerformance
combines the best of both worlds:

It is fitted with a 190 kW combustion engine as well as a new
electric drive with an output of 83 kW.

  • The fully electric range is 40 km.
  • And the top speed in e-mode is 140 km/h.Combined, the two
    drivetrains accelerate the car to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds. It
    only needs 2.1 liters of fuel per 100km and emits 49 grams of CO2
    per km in the current EU test cycle. The BMW 740e iPerformance
    offers the luxury, innovations and driving dynamics of a BMW 7
    Series, with zero emissions in the electric driving mode.You’ll see,
    this car is sheer driving pleasure. I can personally vouch for
    that.And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s move on to this next BMW 7
    Series vehicle. Customers have often asked us why there isn’t an M
    version of our flagship. We certainly take our customers’ wishes
    seriously, so here it is: Our first 7 Series M Performance model.
    This is the brand-new BMW
    M760Li xDrive
    – and today is its world premiere! This model
    is equipped with an M Performance 12-cylinder petrol engine – which
    means 610 horsepower and 800 Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h
    in 3.7 seconds.The new BMW M760Li xDrive will have its market launch
    as early as this year.
  •   

The expansion of the BMW 7 Series lineup shows that the company is
constantly evolving in order to exceed the requirements and desires of
our customers.