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Tomorrow, BMW will take wraps off the Concept CS at the Shanghai auto show—a car that is a very thinly veiled representation of a model soon headed for production.
The CS is envisioned as a range-topping four-door with coupe styling, sharing underpinnings with the next-generation 7 Series. The exterior dimensions are impressive—and large. The low-slung body stretches 200.8-inches long and a huge 78 inches wide, but is a scant 53.5-inches high. For comparison, the current 7 Series is smaller than this beast: 198.4-inches long, 58.7-inches high and 74.9-inches wide. Even with its increased length and width, the seating capacity in the CS—and the production four-door coupe it will spawn—drops to four.
Our sources in Shanghai report the CS seeks to bridge the gap between the 7 Series and Rolls-Royce, as well as fend off the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide, as well as provide an answer to high-end version of the Mercedes-Benz CLS—the car that started all the four-door coupe craze. Equally important, it foreshadows the direction of BMW design.
The styling of the concept is a natural progression of the initially derided and now much copied “flamed surfacing” treatment initiated by American designer Chris Bangle. This car continues to carry concave body panels, but adds ever-sharpening creases at its flanks and rear; note the exaggerated hip line that helps to show both length and stance for the car. From behind the edginess—and futuristic look—of this design is apparent. The Concept CS’s style shows a kind of toughness buyers of the production car can only hope it will emulate. Huge 21-inch wheels hint at the performance potential and exaggerated rear fenders remind you of BMW’s rear-drive philosophy.
BMW will no doubt offer an M variant. Power for the highest performance model should be a 6.0-liter V12, which will essentially add two cylinders to the 5.0-liter V10 in the M5; the likelihood is that everything that wears an M badge will use a configuration of that engine. As example, the next M3 cuts off a pair of cylinders to have a 4.0-liter V8.
Source = Autoweek
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From Dr. Norbert Reithofer (BMW CEO) Speech:
"Ladies and Gentlemen -
I suppose you agree with me when I say: Tomorrow, this vehicle will be one of the highlights at the Auto Shanghai 2007.
What can I already tell you about this vehicle?
1. The BMW Concept CS is a clear symbol for the BMW brand's desirability. It is a vehicle that inspires people. It stands for "sheer driving pleasure" in its purest form. And it shows our characteristic BMW interpretation of a Gran Turismo that combines driving pleasure and travel comfort.
2. This BMW Concept CS also stands for a further development of our design language. Design is a very distinguishing feature for BMW, and this is not going to change. Our customers want a face that stands out in a crowd. Our expertise in this field is further underlined by this concept car. With our last leap in design a few years ago, we clearly broke away from competitors. We frequently see that other manufacturers follow our design language more closely. Now, we are starting the next round. This is how the next step in the evolutionary development of our design language could look like.
3. With this concept car, we also show that generally there is still a lot of expansion potential at the BMW brand. Many things are possible. We will not necessarily launch all the products people speculate about. But our competitors should not feel too safe. We still have a lot in the pipeline.
I think this is enough information for now. I invite you all to take a very close look at this vehicle tomorrow. There are lots of things for you to discover! And now I am very much looking forward to spending this evening with you. Thank you very much for your attention."
Tomorrow, BMW will take wraps off the Concept CS at the Shanghai auto show—a car that is a very thinly veiled representation of a model soon headed for production.
The CS is envisioned as a range-topping four-door with coupe styling, sharing underpinnings with the next-generation 7 Series. The exterior dimensions are impressive—and large. The low-slung body stretches 200.8-inches long and a huge 78 inches wide, but is a scant 53.5-inches high. For comparison, the current 7 Series is smaller than this beast: 198.4-inches long, 58.7-inches high and 74.9-inches wide. Even with its increased length and width, the seating capacity in the CS—and the production four-door coupe it will spawn—drops to four.
Our sources in Shanghai report the CS seeks to bridge the gap between the 7 Series and Rolls-Royce, as well as fend off the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide, as well as provide an answer to high-end version of the Mercedes-Benz CLS—the car that started all the four-door coupe craze. Equally important, it foreshadows the direction of BMW design.
The styling of the concept is a natural progression of the initially derided and now much copied “flamed surfacing” treatment initiated by American designer Chris Bangle. This car continues to carry concave body panels, but adds ever-sharpening creases at its flanks and rear; note the exaggerated hip line that helps to show both length and stance for the car. From behind the edginess—and futuristic look—of this design is apparent. The Concept CS’s style shows a kind of toughness buyers of the production car can only hope it will emulate. Huge 21-inch wheels hint at the performance potential and exaggerated rear fenders remind you of BMW’s rear-drive philosophy.
BMW will no doubt offer an M variant. Power for the highest performance model should be a 6.0-liter V12, which will essentially add two cylinders to the 5.0-liter V10 in the M5; the likelihood is that everything that wears an M badge will use a configuration of that engine. As example, the next M3 cuts off a pair of cylinders to have a 4.0-liter V8.
Source = Autoweek
______________________________________________________________________________________
From Dr. Norbert Reithofer (BMW CEO) Speech:
"Ladies and Gentlemen -
I suppose you agree with me when I say: Tomorrow, this vehicle will be one of the highlights at the Auto Shanghai 2007.
What can I already tell you about this vehicle?
1. The BMW Concept CS is a clear symbol for the BMW brand's desirability. It is a vehicle that inspires people. It stands for "sheer driving pleasure" in its purest form. And it shows our characteristic BMW interpretation of a Gran Turismo that combines driving pleasure and travel comfort.
2. This BMW Concept CS also stands for a further development of our design language. Design is a very distinguishing feature for BMW, and this is not going to change. Our customers want a face that stands out in a crowd. Our expertise in this field is further underlined by this concept car. With our last leap in design a few years ago, we clearly broke away from competitors. We frequently see that other manufacturers follow our design language more closely. Now, we are starting the next round. This is how the next step in the evolutionary development of our design language could look like.
3. With this concept car, we also show that generally there is still a lot of expansion potential at the BMW brand. Many things are possible. We will not necessarily launch all the products people speculate about. But our competitors should not feel too safe. We still have a lot in the pipeline.
I think this is enough information for now. I invite you all to take a very close look at this vehicle tomorrow. There are lots of things for you to discover! And now I am very much looking forward to spending this evening with you. Thank you very much for your attention."
