BMW Group Press Conference, NAIAS Detroit 2017.

Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America

 

Good morning and welcome to the BMW Group! Today it is our pleasure
to present a range of new models – most importantly, the all-new BMW 5
Series which you will see in a just a moment.

 

The 5 Series has always remained core to our brand. And since 1975 it
was a car that further established BMW as “The Ultimate Driving
Machine” in the US.

Today, we are proud America remains the single largest market for the
BMW 5 Series in the world! And for 10 of the last 12 years, the 5
Series Sedan has led over its most direct competitors in the US!

 

The success of the 5 Series in America is just one example of the
strong bond the BMW Group has with this country. And over the last
four decades, the United States has truly become our second home! This
country has influenced our global thinking in terms of production,
technology, design, and our vision of future mobility.

 

Today our industry is more global than ever before. And it is part of
why we chose the US as the first and only place to show all four of
our Centenary Vision NEXT 100 vehicles. It’s also why we debuted our
fourth vehicle, the VISION NEXT 100 Motorrad in California!

 

Riding is a true passion in America! While the BMW VISION NEXT 100
Motorrad expresses our Future Vision of riding, this all-new BMW K
1600 B represents the “Joy of Riding” that will come later this summer!

 

This new model perfectly expresses our passion for riding with its
cruiser-inspired design, 6-cylinder performance and genuine touring
qualities. It truly captures “The spirit of the open road”.

 

America is not only one of our most important markets – it’s also one
of our oldest for BMW Motorrad. We know the first BMW motorcycle
appeared on US roads in 1927. Since that time we’ve been investing in
broadening the appeal of our product range by growing our model
portfolio in both existing and new segments. From our HP4 race bike at
one end of the spectrum, to our sustainable C Evolution electric
scooter at the other end, our portfolio is the best it’s ever been
with over 20 model variants and growing!  And this BMW K 1600 Bagger
will provide further momentum for BMW!

 

In America our motorcycle business is in an excellent position! In
2016, the United States was once again our number-two market after
Germany.  And we will continue to grow our business with new products
tailored to American tastes, and by further enhancing our US retail network.

 

While I‘m certain our product offensive and investments in our sales
network will drive the success of BMW Motorrad in America, it is just
one of four important pillars that make up the BMW Group. I am now
pleased to welcome Board Member Dr. Ian Robertson to tell you more
about the BMW Group worldwide.

 

 

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

 

Good morning, it’s great to be back in Detroit!

 

Here we have the very first M Performance BMW 7 Series!

The BMW M760, with around 610 horsepower is truly “The Ultimate
Driving Machine”. This vehicle underscores our desire to strengthen
our presence in the Large Luxury Class and expand our M portfolio. And
very soon we will begin the worldwide media launch for the M760 in
California, at our BMW Performance Center – which is really a
fantastic place to drive this car!

Back in 1954, the very first BMW “Ultimate Driving Machine” drove on
to American streets. Today – as Ludwig said – the US is clearly our
second home:

 

  • It’s the second largest market for the BMW Group worldwide
  • It’s home to over 650 dealers for all our brands
  • Together with them and our direct suppliers, we employ around
    70,000 people across this great country
  • It is the largest market for our BMW M cars
  • And it is the leading market for our BMW i cars.Over the past two
    decades, we have invested a total of seven billion dollars in our
    Spartanburg facility in South Carolina, our worldwide Center of
    Competence for our X family vehicles.


Spartanburg is now the largest plant in our global production
network – and that is a clear statement about our commitment to this
country. We will be adding the BMW X7 to our production here in the
US, and I’m sure that especially American customers are going to love
this car. Talking about expansion of the X family – next year the BMW
X2 will hit the market, but if you can’t wait that long, just over
there you can see the concept version, which we’re showing today for
the very first time in the USA. Our X family vehicles now make up over
30% of our BMW sales.

Their continued strong performance contributed to 2016 being the
most successful year ever for the BMW Group. For the sixth consecutive
year, the BMW Group achieved a new all-time high in sales. Last year
we sold more than 2.3 million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles, a
growth of 5.3 percent. BMW, MINI, and BMW Motorrad all achieved new
sales records.For the BMW brand, it’s the first time we sold over two
million vehicles in a year. Growth was driven by exciting new models,
such as the sixth generation of the 7 Series, which had its most
successful first year of sales ever. For the very first time, MINI
delivered over 350,000 cars to customers. Rolls-Royce sales were the
second-highest ever recorded in the company’s 113-year history. And
BMW Motorrad achieved its sixth consecutive all-time high in sales.

This year, the BMW Group is again aiming for sustainable growth.
Profitability remains our primary focus. We will also continue our
strategy of a balanced distribution of worldwide sales. And, we will
continue to invest strongly in innovative technologies.All brands at
the BMW Group benefit from the transfer of technologies within the
company.

We also utilize our engineering expertise outside the world of
automobiles, especially in the area of sport. BMW has always had a
strong commitment to sport – it’s simply part of who we are. We are
very proud to be Global Partner of the 35th America’s Cup, which is
the most technically demanding sailing event in the world. The
America’s Cup Match will take place in Bermuda in June this year. BMW
is ORACLE TEAM USA’s Technology Partner, supporting them with
engineering expertise. This includes the aerodynamic optimization of
the AC 50 Yacht, which will be launched in a few weeks’ time. We even
assign certain engineers to the team for the entire cooperation, to
create the “Ultimate Sailing Machine”. We are delighted that the two
time America’s Cup winner – skipper and helmsman of ORACLE TEAM USA
can join us today. Please welcome Jimmy Spithill!


Dialogue: Ian Robertson
and Jimmy Spithill

The transfer of technology we use in the auto industry to one of the
most technically demanding sporting competitions in the world is fascinating.

Every minor improvement can have a major effect. Thanks to
aerodynamic expertise and lightweight design, BMW vehicles are
constantly becoming more efficient.

 

Our own business athlete, the new BMW 5 Series is a great example of
this: its class-leading aerodynamics were also perfected at our
RD centre in Munich.

The seventh generation of the BMW 5 Series is the most dynamic and
innovative yet – and without a doubt, it will continue to set the benchmark:

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’m very proud to present to you the World Premiere of the new BMW 5 Series!

 

The BMW 5 Series is the world’s most successful business sedan. And
now, it’s even better: The new model is lighter, quicker, more
advanced and more spacious. Intelligent lightweight construction
translates into a weight reduction of up to 100 kilos, which makes it
even more agile. It offers an unbeatable driving experience, best in
class efficiency, as well as innovative comfort and safety features.
It offers the most advanced driver assistance systems, with major
leaps towards autonomous driving, such as Remote Control Parking and
Driving Assistant Plus, with driver support up to 130 mph (210km/h).

 

You are looking at the most innovative BMW 5 Series ever!

 

The full range of models will be on the market in the next couple of
months, including both the plug-in hybrid and the M Performance model
you see here.

On my left is the M Performance car, the M550i xDrive. It is
spectacular, taking sportiness to a whole new level. With 456
horsepower, it sprints from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds. On my right is
the plug-in hybrid BMW 530e iPerformance. It will be our fourth
iPerformance model in the US and the first one to be offered in both
rear and all-wheel drive. In the European test cycle, it achieves 50
kilometers on electric drive and consumes just 1.9 litres per hundred
kilometres driven.

 

The BMW Group is the world’s most successful provider of plug-in
hybrid vehicles in the premium segment. Last year we reached the great
milestone of 100,000 electrified vehicles on the road – that’s the
combined figure over the last three years, since the launch of the i3.
This year, we’re aiming for a new milestone – to deliver 100,000
electrified vehicles in 2017 alone.

 

The addition in the coming months of the BMW 5 Series and MINI
Countryman plug-in hybrids is sure to provide further momentum. And of
course, we will be transferring BMW i technologies to all other Group
brands, series and models, as time goes on. At BMW Motorrad, the
electric C evolution will come to the US for the very first time in
September. Looking further ahead, we will launch a pure electric MINI
in 2019 and a pure electric BMW X3 in 2020.

 

The success of our electrified vehicles shows that we are already
well on track, and our message is clear: We intend to remain at the
very forefront of electromobility.

Thanks again everyone for coming by today to see the World
Premiere of the new BMW 5 Series – I look forward to seeing you
throughout the year.