GINA Light Visionary Model

Successful design arouses desire. In order to achieve this, it is more crucial than ever before that car manufacturers create the conditions that allow customers to establish a close relationship with their cars. Therefore, designers seek ways to promote and intensify people's identification with their car that reach beyond pure aesthetics. In the premium segment in particular, customers demand cars that stir emotions and allow them to express their individuality. BMW Group Design has set another deepened objective for designing new cars that moves today's consumers and their demand for enhanced utility and more versatility to the top of their agenda. An innovative concept introduced by BMW Group Design prepares the ground for this new approach: the GINA (Geometry and Functions In ''N'' Adaptions) principle grants more freedom for car design. It allows the creation of products with a design and functional range that express individuality and meet the wide variety of requirements of those who are using them.

In the 21st century, customers approach their purchasing decision with a high degree of assertiveness, clearly defined requirements and subjective conceptions- particularly when it comes to selecting their means of transport.  In recent years, the interests and priorities that motivated them have changed and, more importantly, they have become considerably more diversified.  This development will continue in the future. Today, the BMW Group is already responding to the highly diversified range of customer requirements and heightened expectations by providing services such as a substantially more varied product range, ever increasing possibilities for personalization and requirement-oriented production among others.

By introducing the GINA philosophy, BMW Group Design presents ways of meeting these challenges in the future. The philosophy expresses the readiness and ability of BMW Group Design to consider individual customer requirements as an integral part of car development. Christopher E. Bangle, Head of BMW Group Design, speaks with conviction when he says: ''Personal customer requirements will broaden the context of our products and change the core values that define our industry along the way.'' For more than ten years now, these issues have inspired Bangle's ideas. Time and time again, these ideas have been motivating the BMW Group Design team to break new ground and to find pioneering solutions. These results have spawned new customer expectations which in turn inspires designers to develop further innovations

Introduction

• What's New: BMW Launches a new concept vehicle that looks as if it's intended for production as the new 8 Series, and, hints at the future of its vehicle design.
  
• Why It Matters: For BMW fans, the CS signals that the Bavarian automaker is now seriously in the game against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and the Porsche Panamera. With plenty of powertrains to choose from, the CS Concept could be making it's way stateside in very quick order.

BMW CS Concept Preview

2008 New York Auto Show: It must have really wore them down. Day after day, BMW executives have sat and cringed with every gratuitous Porsche Panamera spy photo or Mercedes-Benz CLS sighting in the 'ol neighborhood. They don't have a car like that, after all, and people like cars like that. Their competitors have cars that fill the need, or are famously building one.

It's enough to make you choke on a strudel.

BMW CS Concept - Notable Features

The most significant thing about the BMW CS Concept is that it's here and looking very production-feasible, even with a slightly crazy-yet-elegant approach to the sheetmetal. While it's mostly a design direction at this point, the specs come in as slightly larger and longer than the 7 Series, which lights up the speculation machine regarding a possible new 8 Series. Some are also claiming that the CS foreshadows the next 6 Series. Either way, it looks like we'll be seeing more of this beauty, and in pretty short order.

What it Is

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept Preview - 2008 New York Auto Show: This is shaping up to be the year that BMW shows off its green side. We've seen several hybrid and/or diesel concepts from the company, starting in Detroit, and in Geneva the company has unveiled yet another: The Vision EfficientDynamics Concept. This particular X5 is powered by a new mild hybrid system with a gearbox-mounted electric motor and 2.0-liter diesel engine at its core, promising to serve up 36 mpg without sacrificing BMW's driving goodness.

Why it Matters

Change is on the horizon, and automakers - particularly luxury brands - are going to have to learn new ways to satisfy customers who want to be coddled while making their cars more efficient. Part of it is customer demand, but it's also government regulation. Cars like the X5 Vision EfficientDynamics concept are design right at this dual-minded customer, while satisfying upcoming fuel economy regulations to boot.

What's Under the Hood

Like any hybrid, there are two parts to the powertrain. The part that burns stuff is a 2.0-liter twin-turbo common-rail diesel that puts out 204 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. The part that moves electrons around is a 15-kW electric generator integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox. Interestingly, the engine never recharges the batteries through this generator. Instead, electricity is regenerated through an efficient regenerative braking process and through solar cells on the roof which contribute 1 kW/h to the vehicle. The engine also shuts off automatically at stops. BMW says the combination gives the Vision EfficientDynamics 36 mpg in the European cycle.

What it Looks Like

Strip off the fancy decal work and you're looking at a standard-issue BMW X5. That's no bad thing, as the X5 is a good looking vehicle, with taut lines and a minimum of the swoopy curves and peculiar lines that have afflicted the brand's sedans as of late. The only major difference are the wheels, which BMW says are more efficient at high speed.

What BMW Says

According to BMW, the Vision EfficientDynamics concept will allow drivers to, "Experience driving pleasure and reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels." It goes on to say: "BMW's unique development strategy has n ow been taken one stage further: with the concept study BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics...a diesel engine and BMW ActiveHybrid Technology combine." Unique development strategy? Isn't the hybrid system a joint venture between BMW and Mercedes-Benz?