BMW 2011 Annual Report Download - page 35

35 COMBINED GROUP AND COMPANY MANAGEMENT REPORT
Successful tests conducted with automated research
vehicle
In order to promote automated driving with state-of-
the-art assistance systems, the BMW Group is working
on an electronic co-driver. For research purposes, a
BMW 5 Series Sedan was fitted with comprehensive en-
vironmental sensor systems and intelligent software.
This highly automated car is being used to carry out re-
search for future assistance functions. Examples are the
parking and traffic jam assistant systems presented in
the BMW i 3 Concept.
Numerous awards won again in 2011 for BMW Group
developments
With the BMW 5 Series Sedan, the MINI Countryman,
the BMW S 1000 RR and the BMW Concept 6, a total of
four vehicles and concept studies received the “2010
GOOD DESIGN
TM
” award. The oldest design award
worldwide was established in 1950 and honours both
designers and manufacturers for particularly innovative,
visionary products, concepts and ideas. Prizes are
awarded on the basis of criteria set for functionality and
aesthetics, combined with appropriately contemporary
ecological requirements relating to sustainable design.
In March 2011 the BMW 5 Series Touring won the iF
Gold Award in Hanover, the highest prize awarded by
the International Forum Design. The BMW 5 Series
Touring convinced the jury with its harmonious pro-
portions, its individual surface design and its dynamic,
powerful appearance. As a globally recognised seal
of design quality, the iF label is the ultimate honour for
outstanding design achievements.
The BMW 5 Series Touring, the BMW 6 Series Con-
vertible
and the BMW X3 won us three internationally
renowned red dot awards in 2011. The new BMW 5 Se-
ries Touring even carried off the red dot special prize
“best of the best” for highest quality design. The jury is
made up of internationally renowned design experts
who assess the products according to various criteria
including degree of innovation, functionality and eco-
logical compatibility. The highest award “best of the
best” is bestowed in special recognition of unusually
high-quality, groundbreaking design.
In October 2011 the BMW 5 Series Touring was awarded
the German Design Award 2012 in silver. The model
convinced the German Design Council with its
success-
ful combination of functionality and emotional, attractive
design. The German Design Award honours achieve-
ments that set innovative design trends which have an
international impact.
Shortly prior to the world debut of the BMW i 3 Concept
and BMW i 8 Concept at the IAA in 2011, the unique
lightweight construction concept of the two cars was
awarded the ÖkoGlobe 2011 environmental prize. With
this award, the jury paid tribute to the pioneering role
of the BMW Group and the BMW i sub-brand for the use
of CFRP in car manufacture.
Just a few weeks after its market launch, the new
BMW
1 Series received the internationally prestigious
“Goldenes Lenkrad” award, having come out on top
in the compact car category. These annual awards are
given to the best cars launched in each category.
By carrying off four class victories in the “International
Engine of the Year Award”, we repeated our success
from the previous year and underlined our position as
the dominant manufacturer in this competition. In the
1.4- to 1.8-litre capacity class, the international jury gave
the award to the new MINI Cooper S engine. The 4-cylin-
der
diesel engine featuring TwinPower technology won
the award for the second consecutive year. As in the
previous year, the 2.0-litre engine that powers the BMW
123d and the BMW X1 xDrive23d took the prize in the
1.8- to 2.0-litre category. In a similar vein, our 3.0-litre
straightline 6-cylinder engine with TwinPower turbo
technology, which powers the new BMW 5 Series and
the BMW X3, repeated its previous year’s success in the
2.5- to 3.0-litre class. The V8 engine of the BMW M3 took
the laurels in the 3.0- to 4.0-litre class for the fourth time
in a row.