BMW 2011 Annual Report Download - page 37

37 COMBINED GROUP AND COMPANY MANAGEMENT REPORT
Five new BMW models
Several new BMW brand models came onto the market
in 2011. The new 6 Series Convertible has been availa-
ble since March 2011 and was followed in September by
the BMW 6 Series Coupé. The BMW 1 Series M Coupé –
the most powerful model in the 1 Series – was launched
in May 2011. The second generation of the BMW 1 Series
and the new M5 celebrated their world debuts at the
IAA in Frankfurt. Both models have been available to
customers since the end of 2011. The new BMW 3 Series
Sedan, presented to the global public in mid-October,
came onto the markets in February 2012 and is set to
generate additional demand.
MINI Coupé launched
The latest MINI model series, the MINI Coupé, which
was also presented at the IAA, took its place as the fifth
model of the MINI family in September. The sixth
member of the family, the MINI Roadster, followed
in
Detroit in January 2012 and will be available from
March 2012.
Rolls-Royce Ghost available as extended
wheelbase version
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars added the Ghost Extended
Wheelbase to its model programme in spring 2011.
The 102EX, the first electric vehicle in the ultra-luxury
segment, was also presented as a dedicated test vehicle
which will be used to gather experience with respect
to electromobility in the luxury segment. The Spirit of
Ecstasy celebrated its centenary in 2011: this ornament
has adorned the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce vehicle
since 1911.
The new BMW i sub-brand
The BMW Group presented its new sub-brand, BMW i,
in February. BMW i stands for sustainable mobility in
the premium segment and reflects our conviction that
premium cars are being increasingly defined by their
sustainability. The launch of the BMW i sub-brand was
accompanied by an international marketing campaign
aimed at reaching out to new target groups for the
BMW Group.
The BMW i 3 Concept and the BMW i 8 Concept were
presented at the IAA as innovative studies on the future
of electromobility. The BMW i 3, due to be launched in
2013, will be the BMW Group’s first all-electric vehicle.
The BMW i 8 is a high-performance sports car with a
plug-in hybrid concept which combines a combustion
SALES
engine with an electric drive, enabling it to achieve the
low consumption and emission levels of a compact car.
New mobility services
DriveNow, the innovative car sharing service operated
in cooperation with Sixt AG, took up its activities in
June 2011. In the meantime, more than 10,000 regis-
tered
customers in Berlin and Munich have made use
of the opportunity to rent a BMW or MINI for a specific
period of time. Plans are now underway to extend
DriveNow to other cities.
The investment company BMW i Ventures was set up in
February 2011. Based in its offices in New York City, it
assesses the potential for strategic investments in inno-
vative mobility service providers. Its first investments
have been in the entities MyCityWay, a megacity portal,
and ParkatmyHouse, an exchange portal for private
parking spaces.
Sales network expanded
The dynamic growth experienced in 2011 is also re-
flected in the worldwide expansion of the BMW and MINI
dealership organisations. In China alone we opened up
more than 70 BMW dealerships and around 20 MINI
dealerships. Further emphasis was placed on expanding
our networks in other promising markets of the future
and on improving the distribution of the MINI brand.
The worldwide sales network currently covers the sales
activities of around 3,200 BMW dealerships, more than
1,400 MINI dealerships and some 90 Rolls-Royce dealer-
ships. New training centres have been set up around the
world to ensure that our customers continue to receive
the best possible standard of service.
Record year for customer services
2011 was also a very successful year for the parts and ac-
cessories business lines. New record levels were achieved,
both in Germany and in other important growth markets.
Customer satisfaction is particularly important to us.
The customer services organisation was therefore re-
structured during the year under report with a view to
ensuring even greater cooperation between the BMW
Group’s centralised sales organisations and the various
markets. We are also striving to achieve greater cus-
tomer orientation in the long term.