BMW M man and current VP of Engineering, Albert Biermann, leaves BMW for Hyundai

[Zafiro]

Hyundai Motor Corp. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. hired Albert Biermann, chief engineer for BMW's M performance cars and light trucks, to develop performance models and improve ride and handling.

As executive vice president, Biermann will become the South Korean automakers' second-highest foreign executive after design chief Peter Schreyer, formerly of Audi AG.

Hyundai Motor hires BMW exec in performance-car push

 

[Zafiro]

M division and BMW in general failing, thats why everyone leave?

 

[EnI]

M division and BMW in general failing, thats why everyone leave?

LOL

Fluctuation among managers, engineers & designers is of high rate in the automotive industry. Those highly skilled people are constantly shifting from one manufacturer to another.

Some get better offers, some leave for more challenges elsewhere, some are fired, ...

Biermann & Diess are latest BMW top managers leaving for other company. It's happening all the time.

Remember ex-CEO of BMW Group - Bernd Pischetsrieder - who left for a top position at VW Group? Or BMW's R&D chief Wolfgang Reitzle who left for Ford (CEO of Ford's PAG division: LR, Jaguar, Aston Martin) ... after that he left for a CEO position @ German industrial gas specialist Linde Group. Chris Bangle left BMW for Samsung; and he was snatched by BMW from FIAT. Karim Habib had left it for MB (and then came back to BMW to become head of BMW car design). Former Audi Quattro GmbH head, Frank van Meel, has just become a CEO of M GmbH. And a few years ago AMG chief Ulrich Bruhnke left for top spot at M GmbH. VW snatched Walter de Silva from Alfa Romeo years ago. Top GM engineer and Chevy Volt project leader, Frank Weber, left for BMW. Ex-Audi design chief, Peter Schreyer, has been a design chief of KIA for years now. Current MB head of exterior design, Robert Lesnik, came from KIA (and before that he worked for VW). BMW lured in ex-Citroen design chief, Domagoj Djukec, to become BMW chief of exterior design. BMW DreamworksUSA Automotive & Transport design chief, Chris Chapman, left for Hyundai. Ex-MB Advanced Design Studio chief Verena Kloos left for BMW DesignworksUSA. Henrik Fisker was a chief designer @ BMW Technik GmbH and then left for Aston Martin. BMW have just employed Roberto Fedeli, ex technical director @ Ferrari. Arnd Meyer, top AMG chassis engineer left for BMW M GmbH almost 2 years ago. Fritz Eichler, ex-AMG powertrein chief left for VW. Peter Schwarzenbauer, ex-Audi chief of sales has become a member of BMW AG Board - responsible for aftersales. Ex-MINI chief of design, Frank Stephenson, left for Ferrari / Maserati ... and then for McLaren. Anders Warming, current MINI head of design, left BMW for VW ... and then came back to BMW. Michael Mauer, current Porsche design chief was previously employed by MB (as chief of smart brand design), and later SAAB - as chief of design. Milagros Caiña Carreiro-Andree, current BW Group HR cheif, came from DB Schenker. Etc, etc, etc

There are countless examples of top engineers, designers & managers fluctuation from one company to another. That's how the business world operates.

 

[Zafiro]

He been a part of BMW since 1983. M no fun to place to work, no challenge anymore. They're probably fired because M4 is failing in media
Let's hope the new blood is going to deliever better cars than ever.

Hyundai is the new M!

 

[EnI]

Hardly. It more about introduction of a new generation of (younger) top managers for the next era. Even BMW Group CEO has been replaced by a younger guy: Harald Krüger (49) ... the second youngest CEO in automotive industry (only Elon Musk - 43 - is younger).

Remeber the "Rule 60" ... BMW has a tradition to retire or fire top managers when they turn 60. Current M GmbH CEO Nitschke is 59 - and is being replaced by Frank van Meel (ex Audi Quattro GmbH chief), who is 48.

Biermann is 57, so he would only last another 3 years @ BMW M ... So I guess he got a good offer from Hyundai where Rule 60 isn't in place, so he could be top manager there even beyond 60.

Be sure Biermann will be succeeded by someone much younger. I'm sure there will be much interest for that post - within M GmbH, within BMW Group, and even in other automotive companies. And be sure BMW will place someone very experienced there.

Mind Biermann was appointed M GmbH technical director after finishing his project of being X5 / X6 E70 / E71 development leader. And @ M he continued to work on X5M / X6M: the first BMW M AWD & SUV & automatic gearbox products.

My guess ... M is going electric / hybrid ... therefore someone with performance e-drive / hybrid-drive expertize will be named new technical director of M GmbH. Mind all the latest M GmbH newcomers were in charge of electric / hybrid sports car development: Meyer worked on SLS AMG Electric drive, van Meel on R8 e-tron, Fedeli on LaFerrari. I won't be surprised at all when some top engineer from Porsche 918 or and McLaren P1 development team joins M GmbH in the next weeks or months.

 

[SCOTT27]

Hardly. It more about introduction of a new generation of (younger) top managers for the next era. Even BMW Group CEO has been replaced by a younger guy: Harald Krüger (49) ... the second youngest CEO in automotive industry (only Elon Musk - 43 - is younger).

Remeber the "Rule 60" ... BMW has a tradition to retire or fire top managers when they turn 60. Current M GmbH CEO Nitschke is 59 - and is being replaced by Frank van Meel (ex Audi Quattro GmbH chief), who is 48.

Biermann is 57, so he would only last another 3 years @ BMW M ... So I guess he got a good offer from Hyundai where Rule 60 isn't in place, so he could be top manager there even beyond 60.

Be sure Biermann will be succeeded by someone much younger. I'm sure there will be much interest for that post - within M GmbH, within BMW Group, and even in other automotive companies. And be sure BMW will place someone very experienced there.

Mind Biermann was appointed M GmbH technical director after finishing his project of being X5 / X6 E70 / E71 development leader. And @ M he continued to work on X5M / X6M: the first BMW M AWD & SUV & automatic gearbox products.

My guess ... M is going electric / hybrid ... therefore someone with performance e-drive / hybrid-drive expertize will be named new technical director of M GmbH. Mind all the latest M GmbH newcomers were in charge of electric / hybrid sports car development: Meyer worked on SLS AMG Electric drive, van Meel on R8 e-tron, Fedeli on LaFerrari. I won't be surprised at all when some top engineer from Porsche 918 or and McLaren P1 development team joins M GmbH in the next weeks or months.

Another poaching will be announced in the New Year.

 

[bmwblog]

You nailed it with M Hybrid. Most likely we will see that in the near future.

Hardly. It more about introduction of a new generation of (younger) top managers for the next era. Even BMW Group CEO has been replaced by a younger guy: Harald Krüger (49) ... the second youngest CEO in automotive industry (only Elon Musk - 43 - is younger).

Remeber the "Rule 60" ... BMW has a tradition to retire or fire top managers when they turn 60. Current M GmbH CEO Nitschke is 59 - and is being replaced by Frank van Meel (ex Audi Quattro GmbH chief), who is 48.

Biermann is 57, so he would only last another 3 years @ BMW M ... So I guess he got a good offer from Hyundai where Rule 60 isn't in place, so he could be top manager there even beyond 60.

Be sure Biermann will be succeeded by someone much younger. I'm sure there will be much interest for that post - within M GmbH, within BMW Group, and even in other automotive companies. And be sure BMW will place someone very experienced there.

Mind Biermann was appointed M GmbH technical director after finishing his project of being X5 / X6 E70 / E71 development leader. And @ M he continued to work on X5M / X6M: the first BMW M AWD & SUV & automatic gearbox products.

My guess ... M is going electric / hybrid ... therefore someone with performance e-drive / hybrid-drive expertize will be named new technical director of M GmbH. Mind all the latest M GmbH newcomers were in charge of electric / hybrid sports car development: Meyer worked on SLS AMG Electric drive, van Meel on R8 e-tron, Fedeli on LaFerrari. I won't be surprised at all when some top engineer from Porsche 918 or and McLaren P1 development team joins M GmbH in the next weeks or months.

 

[Human]

Expect Hyundai cars with BMW trades in the future. I see KIA ignition keys resemble VAG's and thats not all. I hate Korean cars period.

 

[klier]

You nailed it with M Hybrid. Most likely we will see that in the near future.

The G code generation will likely not have it on M products. Hybrid is fat and heavy.

 

[SCOTT27]

Hardly. It more about introduction of a new generation of (younger) top managers for the next era. Even BMW Group CEO has been replaced by a younger guy: Harald Krüger (49) ... the second youngest CEO in automotive industry (only Elon Musk - 43 - is younger).

Remeber the "Rule 60" ... BMW has a tradition to retire or fire top managers when they turn 60. Current M GmbH CEO Nitschke is 59 - and is being replaced by Frank van Meel (ex Audi Quattro GmbH chief), who is 48.

Biermann is 57, so he would only last another 3 years @ BMW M ... So I guess he got a good offer from Hyundai where Rule 60 isn't in place, so he could be top manager there even beyond 60.

Be sure Biermann will be succeeded by someone much younger. I'm sure there will be much interest for that post - within M GmbH, within BMW Group, and even in other automotive companies. And be sure BMW will place someone very experienced there.

Mind Biermann was appointed M GmbH technical director after finishing his project of being X5 / X6 E70 / E71 development leader. And @ M he continued to work on X5M / X6M: the first BMW M AWD & SUV & automatic gearbox products.

My guess ... M is going electric / hybrid ... therefore someone with performance e-drive / hybrid-drive expertize will be named new technical director of M GmbH. Mind all the latest M GmbH newcomers were in charge of electric / hybrid sports car development: Meyer worked on SLS AMG Electric drive, van Meel on R8 e-tron, Fedeli on LaFerrari. I won't be surprised at all when some top engineer from Porsche 918 or and McLaren P1 development team joins M GmbH in the next weeks or months.

Fedeli will be given responsibility for the high premium 7+ models - ie models above the 7er and i8.

 

[Rainer271]

Fedeli will be given responsibility for the high premium 7+ models - ie models above the 7er and i8.

What is the current status referred to the decision if a model above the 7-series will built?

 

[EnI]

Fedeli will be given responsibility for the high premium 7+ models - ie models above the 7er and i8.

Wow, the new "Project BMW Gran Turismo" (initially based on BMW Concept CS) ... Something former M development chief (Biermann's predecessor) Richter was appointed to lead back in 2008 within the M GmbH ... but then unfortunately the project was scrapped a year later.

Interesting if true.

Mind the original Project Gran Turismo was sort of a "new 8er" - a large luxury sports coupe (GT type) based on BMW CS Concept - developed @ M & Individual. Very sporty, very luxurious, very exclusive, very expensive. A bridge to baby Rolls family. Most probably wearing M8 badge and sporting V12 engine.

But this time all indicators point towards ultra-luxury driver-oriented sports sedan as previewed by Vision Future Luxury - also developed by M & Individual, as an exclusive M Individual model. Most probably a PHEV (V8 + eDrive, or even V12 + eDrive???). Top offer in BMW brand portfolio. This ... instead of an M supercar. It makes sense. BMW is all about sports sedans after all.

 

[SCOTT27]

Many in Munich feel that the time is ripe for BMW to investigate the lower rungs of the high luxury segment , positioned below Rolls-Royce which will allow RR to remain ultra exclusive and not downsize like Bentley are planning to do.

The Vision Future Luxury concept went on a global tour to determine if there are customers who would like that sort of exclusivity but distant from the core brand.
One interesting aspect of the i8 is that car has been bought by customers who have never owned a BMW before and would not have considered one. The i8 is proven successful because of its exclusivity and ability to be completely different.
Something that is considered for the upper segment and evidenced by the Vision future Luxury which has the ability to stand out further , a concept that is driven by innovation and something that will appeal to the customers in the high luxury segment.

BMW know with such a car that the owner will want to drive as well as ride in the rear so the car was designed to satisfy both requirements that is why its essence as a sporting large BMW sedan has been well received.
Further appeal of a high luxury market strategy would also allow BMW to push the goalposts further from competitors Audi and Mercedes-Benz and stretch current BMW innovation that is already causing concern amongst our competitors in next years 7er for the Affordable luxury segment. A 9er and other models considered with this strategy including a new project Gran Turismo would push BMW further from its competitors.

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