Munich. The outstanding quality of design achieved by
the BMW Group is setting new standards, as an array of design prizes
have highlighted. In the iF design award 2016, for
example – one of the highest accolades for excellence in design – BMW
Group Design picked up 10 of the internationally coveted prizes. All
the winners from the BMW Group, with the exception of the
MINI AR Glasses 2014 and the
BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R,
won awards in the “Product” category. The latter, a concept study,
took the honours in the “Professional Concept” discipline and the data
glasses was bestowed with “gold”, the highest hallmark of quality. The
iF gold awards were presented on 26 February 2016 in a ceremony
attended by over 1,500 guests as part of the iF design awards night at
BMW Welt in Munich.
Modern luxury proved to be a winning virtue for the BMW
7
Series. As well as a sharp and striking design profile, the
sixth generation of the sedan also boasts numerous technical
innovations, such as BMW gesture control, the Ambient Air package
with air ionisation and fragrancing, BMW Laserlight and
remote-controlled parking.
The BMW X1 also won over the jury of experts – with
a new development leading the way. The design team has completely
re-thought the second generation of the car, with rear-wheel drive
handing over the baton to a front-drive architecture. As a result, the
new X1 is now significantly better proportioned, offers more space and
drives exactly how you would expect a BMW to.
The new BMW M6 GT3 will power the BMW Group into the
2016 season in motor sport. Its powerful stance on the road, large air
intakes, impressive rear wing, rigorous application of lightweight
construction techniques, bucket seats and driver-focused cockpit
provide undeniable evidence of its racing genes.
Another high-performance machine – and iF design award winner – is
the compact BMW M2, which combines the
exceptional performance, precision and agility of
M Automobiles with hallmark BMW styling.
The potential importance of a brand’s past in future design is
highlighted by the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage R. Inspired
aesthetically by the BMW 3.0 CSL ‒ a timelessly classic
and iconic BMW coupe from the 1970s – the BMW design team created a
visionary car with an interior concept all of its own. For the
seamless integration of the driver into the car, the designers
extrapolated the principle of driver focus beyond the geometric form
of the interior and developed a new approach taking in the driver’s
helmet, race suit and seat, before moving onto the form of the interior.
The new MINI Clubman, meanwhile, was victorious
on two fronts. Its assured, elegant and noticeably
more mature character put forward a compelling case to the jurors of
the iF design award, and the Festival Automobile International in
Paris presented the MINI Clubman with the “Grand
Prix du Plus Bel Interieur de l’Année 2015” for the
vehicle with the best interior of 2015. The MINI Clubman’s cabin
engages in a skilful collage of understated elegance and creative
extrovert appeal. At the heart of the interior is the ultra-wide
instrument panel with cockpit facia frame, which almost appears to be
floating. It is complemented by atmospheric lighting, high-quality
decorative trim strips and intriguing hidden details revealed by the
interior on second glance – such as the exclusively designed tartan
pattern adorning various materials in the numerous cubbies and storage
facilities. The coveted “Grand Prix” awarded by the Festival
Automobile International was presented to Oliver Sieghart, Head of
Interior Design MINI, in Paris in January.
The design of the MINI Convertible also attracted
praise, convincing as it did with aspects such as the use of
high-quality materials for the interior, enhanced comfort levels and
an evolutionary design – an optional highlight of which is the
unparalleled black fabric roof with titanium grey Union Jack design
woven into it. The roof can be retracted in just
18 seconds, creating a combination of the driving fun for
which MINI is renowned and an intense open-top motoring experience.
BMW Motorrad was also the recipient of one of these highly regarded
awards. The new BMW
R
nineT Scrambler brings together pure proportions and
high-quality materials into an engaging, non-conformist character.
Details such as the stripped-back, modern interpretation of
characteristic scrambler elements are compelling, and the high level
of workmanship evident in the bike’s individual components sets new
standards in the segment.
Inspired by the legendary Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn from the early
1950s, the Rolls-Royce Dawn represents a highly
contemporary homage to the exhilarating sense of boundless freedom.
Shunning compromise in its entirety, the open-top Dawn stirs comfort,
elegance and refinement into a flawless blend and offers a whole new
dimension in lightness and relaxation, coupled with supreme dynamics –
and no restriction to on-board space.
The MINI AR Glasses 2014 were presented with the
highest seal of quality (“gold”). The MINI design team
commissioned Designworks, a subsidiary of the BMW Group, with the
design of the glasses, their colour concept and the digital user
experience. A technical device has duly been turned into a lifestyle
product that transfers the MINI design language to a pair of
glasses. Intelligent connectivity with the MINI car allows
these trailblazing glasses to project all relevant content, such as
navigation instructions, into the driver’s direct field of view.
BMW Group Design came up trumps seven times in the renowned
GOOD DESIGNTM Award, the world’s oldest design
prize. For over 65 years now, its international jury has
been recognising exceptionally innovative, visionary products,
concepts and ideas dreamed up by designers and manufacturers which go
beyond the horizons of everyday product design. The BMW Group winners
were all presented with awards in the “Transportation” discipline, and
the MINI AR Glasses 2014 also enjoyed more success here.
The list of winners includes the MINI
5-door. A car built for individualists, it whisks the
legendary forms of the classic Mini from 1959 into the present day and
takes to the stage with greater presence and maturity than ever. With
its enhanced design qualities and even more detailed elaboration of
the car’s iconic design cues, the 5-door unites the heritage of MINI
with forward-looking design and innovation to flawless effect.
Likewise presented with the GOOD DESIGNTM Award 2015, the BMW
X6 boasts an even more potent design presence and enhanced
sporting ability, not to mention luxurious interior design and
innovative equipment features.
The BMW X4 also etched a smile onto the faces of the
expert jurors. The X4 combines a coupe-like silhouette with the
familiar broad shoulders and powerful stance of an X model.
Inside, the SAV
(Sports Activity Vehicle) impresses with
leather upholstery (complete with eye-catching contrast stitching),
two-tone ambient lighting and beautifully rich surround sound.
The superb design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage was
also lauded, the BMW design team using intelligent lightweight
construction and modern materials to bring the character of the
BMW 3.0 CSL into the 21st century and showing the iconic 1970s
BMW coupe in a new and exciting guise.
The jury presented three of the seven coveted GOOD DESIGNTM Awards
2015 to BMW Motorrad. First up was the BMW C
evolution, which represents a nod to a new age in urban
mobility on two wheels: dynamic, electric, emission-free. Its
award-winning design showcases the design DNA of BMW Motorrad, a
striking front end and dynamic proportions leading the way into the
world of zero-emission everyday mobility amid the hustle and bustle of
the urban jungle.
The BMW
Motorrad
Concept
101 moves into a sphere that goes beyond mere
horsepower and acceleration figures, summing up a new touring
philosophy full of power and tranquillity. The flow of the lines from
the front to the rear embodies the majestic riding experience, and
elaborately modelled surfaces shape an athletic body. The paint finish
with manually applied line marking and the exclusive combination of
brushed aluminium, semi-matt carbon, dark wood and exquisite leather
lend the Concept 101 a particularly exclusive style.
The third motorcycle to win an award was the BMW S 1000
XR. Its overall appearance displays its universal qualities
and broad spread of possible uses. Tried-and-tested solutions from the
touring and GS sectors combine with sporting elements to create a
presence never before seen in a BMW Motorrad machine. The short, slim
rear provides a visual showcase for the agility of the BMW S 1000 XR.
And the distinctively contrasting and sculptural surface design
underlines the bike’s dynamic appearance.