Hot! BMW AG: What's Next

[Giannis]

I have to admit that I am very afraid of what the future brings in the automotive industry. I'm afraid of the electrification of everything.

I don't want the car to degenerate to just another household appliance like the fridge or the washing machine and I don't want all those marvels of mechanical engineering that comprise what is known as the internal combustion engine be replaced by a generic electric motor.

I feel like I'm left behind by the progress in the field, like I'm out of sync with what's currently on sale or about to be unveiled and that I'll end up a grumpy old man driving a 40 year old beige Volvo.

Pfft...

 

[mercpassion]

I have to admit that I am very afraid of what the future brings in the automotive industry. I'm afraid of the electrification of everything.

I don't want the car to degenerate to just another household appliance like the fridge or the washing machine and I don't want all those marvels of mechanical engineering that comprise what is known as the internal combustion engine be replaced by a generic electric motor.

I feel like I'm left behind by the progress in the field, like I'm out of sync with what's currently on sale or about to be unveiled and that I'll end up a grumpy old man driving a 40 year old beige Volvo.

Pfft...

Exactly, I couldn't agree more, the motor car as we know it today is going down a dangerous route of becoming 'just another means of utility', but we as enthusiasts would sorely be wanting for the true Mechanical-oriented cars to remain and not this Autonomous, electrified self thinking junk, even though its good to have some of this tech on board..

 

[Giannis]

Exactly, I couldn't agree more, the motor car as we know it today is going down a dangerous route of becoming 'just another means of utility', but we as enthusiasts would sorely be wanting for the true Mechanical-oriented cars to remain and not this Autonomous, electrified self thinking junk, even though its good to have some of this tech on board..

Upon rereading my post I think I already sound like a grumpy old man. But today, after spending a bit more than 10 hours explaining to first year undergraduate mechanical engineers the fundamentals of the internal combustion engine, I got in my car to return home thinking "fck I love my job". And then I read post #1129. Good mood lost.

 

[Serpens]

Upon rereading my post I think I already sound like a grumpy old man. But today, after spending a bit more than 10 hours explaining to first year undergraduate mechanical engineers the fundamentals of the internal combustion engine, I got in my car to return home thinking "fck I love my job". And then I read post #1129. Good mood lost.

You are the basis of this Nissan Leaf commercial:

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[W201]

It is all matter of perspective.

Just like horses have become something that you ride for fun (instead for transportation), so too will the ICE cars become something you own and drive for fun.
Of course, that trend is nothing new in the automotive industry - there are bunch of old timer cars, young timer cars, classic cars, and lots and lots of interesting brands to own and cars to hold onto.

It is true that not many of today's cars will be historically significant. Nowadays cars are mostly made to be recycled once their life cycle in finished, instead of being looked after for the next generation.
But there are some models that are exception - Cayman GT4, for example.

The other thing one has to bear in mind is that these new Gen Xers, Zers and so on... they don't care about cars. For them, using a car means being stuck in a traffic in the booster seat, or using the car as a status symbol.

In the end, I think we, as a car fans, should embrace this new concept of mobility that is yet to come, and enjoy our classic cars. The only reason to be grumpy about it is if you don't get hold onto something truly significant

 

[SCOTT27]

I know it's simply frightening when you think that everything involved with engineering , engine development etc is one day going to eradicated in favour of a single A.I. Chip as the "engine".

 

[Rainer271]

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[Merc1]

Emotional mobility is OK ... The problem is that eg. latest BMW products (1er hatch, 2er Active Tourer, 2er Gran Tourer, new 7er, new 5er etc etc) just don't generate ANY emotions whatsoever! They just ARE ... there. OK, there are Ms, and BMWis ... but's that's it.

Core models need some kick ... just like in Bangle times. They were not the most beautiful creatures on the roads, but they did stir emotions! positive or negatives ... People were excited about BMW cars. Today they just aren't. Most BMW products are OK but hardly exciting anymore. At least design / styling should be exciting even if the driving dynamics (eg of a minivan etc) isn't.

The core line products are just too vanilla. BMW, add some magic dust sprinkles, please!!!

Can't believe I'm reading this.

M

 

[EnI]

Can't believe I'm reading this.
M

Why? I have ever been a fan of Bangle era BMWs, and have been calling latest BMW design vanilla. It's sure hard to follow excitement generated by Bangle and all the exposure, publicity, emotions. Right now it's just ... oh, so quiet.

But obviously the Bangle era was just a bleep ... an anomaly ... in otherwise very conservative BMW corporate (and design) ambient & history.

It's a corporate decision. By the directors' board, supported by the major shareholders & employees via supervisory board. Not a lack of ideas from designers. They have plenty of them but ... I guess many of the design managers have left because many great ideas & proposals had been turned down.

Geez, a few years back BMW Group proclaimed itself a "company of ideas". And all promos were all about "joy" and "excitement". What happened now? Everybody being on Vallium or what? Seriously: since more than 50% BMW Group cars sold are leased via BMW Financial services, used cars have to retain a lot of value after a few years. And its easier to do so if the design is more classic, less trendy. Therefore too much design change & revolution is bad for used car business. So I was told.

 

[Merc1]

Why? I have ever been a fan of Bangle era BMWs, and have been calling latest BMW design vanilla. It's sure hard to follow excitement generated by Bangle and all the exposure, publicity, emotions. Right now it's just ... oh, so quiet.

But obviously the Bangle era was just a bleep ... an anomaly ... in otherwise very conservative BMW corporate (and design) ambient.

It's a corporate decision. By the directors' board, supported by the major shareholders & employees via supervisory board. Not a lack of ideas from designers. They have plenty of them but ... I guess many of the design managers have left because many great ideas & proposals had been turned down.

Geez, a few years back BMW Group proclaimed itself a "company of ideas". And all promos were all about "joy" and "excitement". What happened now? Everybody being on Vallium or what?

Alright, we need a security check. Somone has hacked EnI's ID.


M

 

[chonkoa]

Why? I have ever been a fan of Bangle era BMWs, and have been calling latest BMW design vanilla. It's sure hard to follow excitement generated by Bangle and all the exposure, publicity, emotions. Right now it's just ... oh, so quiet.

But obviously the Bangle era was just a bleep ... an anomaly ... in otherwise very conservative BMW corporate (and design) ambient & history.

It's a corporate decision. By the directors' board, supported by the major shareholders & employees via supervisory board. Not a lack of ideas from designers. They have plenty of them but ... I guess many of the design managers have left because many great ideas & proposals had been turned down.

Geez, a few years back BMW Group proclaimed itself a "company of ideas". And all promos were all about "joy" and "excitement". What happened now? Everybody being on Vallium or what? Seriously: since more than 50% BMW Group cars sold are leased via BMW Financial services, used cars have to retain a lot of value after a few years. And its easier to do so if the design is more classic, less trendy. Therefore too much design change & revolution is bad for used car business. So I was told.

Are you okay?

 

[Rainer271]

BMW iNext production planned in Dingolfing

BMW i models are running off the line at the Leipzig plant, but the BMW plant Dingolfing has apparently been selected as the next location for production of BMW’s most futuristic car to date – The BMW iNext.

Announced for 2021, the iNext will thus not only be a state-of-the-art futuristic automobile from today’s point of view, but also a commitment to the Bavarian land. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, BMW CEO Harald Krüger described the “proximity to the BMW Group’s technology division and the development of the electric drivetrain” as decisive criteria for the decision.

With the BMW iNext, the Munich team aims to impress the automotive world, once again, just as they did six years ago with the i3 and i8.

Lightweight construction with carbon fiber, clean drive, high driving range and the ability to drive autonomously at Level 5 will make the BMW iNext one of the most advanced and powerful cars ever. As the market launch date, Harald Krüger confirmed the second half of the year 2021.

In order to bring the technology to the required level in the next few years, the BMW Group decided to build a new development center for autonomous driving a few weeks ago. In the north of Munich, more than 2,000 employees will soon be working on the challenge of mastering complex issues and developing autonomous driving to the standard required by the consumer and lawmakers.

Even before the BMW iNext, the company will bring two more electric cars onto the market, which, however, will only be indirectly involved in the BMW i sub-brand by name. The MINI E for 2019 and a BMW X3 eDrive, which is also a purely electric drive, will be announced on the market from 2020 onwards.

As early as 2018, BMW i and iPerformance vehicles will be able to control the inductive charging of their batteries and thus make the charging process even more comfortable. BMW Wireless Charging debuts next year in 530e and i8 Spyder, all other electric cars and plug-in hybrids will soon follow.

This year, BMW Group plans to sell more than 100,000 vehicles with an electrified drive worldwide, a significant number in the yet new world of electric vehicles.

Source: BMWBlog via Bimmertoday

 

[Rainer271]

Intel and BMW launched today their autonomous driving cars

In early January, BMW Group, Intel and Mobileye announced that a fleet of approximately 40 autonomous BMW vehicles will be on the roads by the second half of 2017, demonstrating the significant advancements made by the three companies towards fully autonomous driving.

Today, at an event in the heart of Silicon Valley, Intel and BMW announced the kick-off of their autonomous driving trial. The self-driving cars are built on the 7 Series platform and will included technology from Intel’s latest acquisition, Mobileye.

All the cars are expected to be on the road by the end of the year. All the vehicles will include multiple Mobileye cameras for road scanning.

As part of this partnership, the BMW Group will be responsible for driving control and dynamics, evaluation of overall functional safety including setting up a high performance simulation engine, overall component integration, production of prototypes and eventually scaling the platform via deployment partners.

Stay tuned for more details and photos!

Source: Engadget / BMWBlog

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Intel and BMW launched today their autonomous driving cars

In early January, BMW Group, Intel and Mobileye announced that a fleet of approximately 40 autonomous BMW vehicles will be on the roads by the second half of 2017, demonstrating the significant advancements made by the three companies towards fully autonomous driving.

Today, at an event in the heart of Silicon Valley, Intel and BMW announced the kick-off of their autonomous driving trial. The self-driving cars are built on the 7 Series platform and will included technology from Intel’s latest acquisition, Mobileye.

All the cars are expected to be on the road by the end of the year. All the vehicles will include multiple Mobileye cameras for road scanning.

As part of this partnership, the BMW Group will be responsible for driving control and dynamics, evaluation of overall functional safety including setting up a high performance simulation engine, overall component integration, production of prototypes and eventually scaling the platform via deployment partners.

Stay tuned for more details and photos!

Source: Engadget / BMWBlog

And that's the beginning of the end

 

[Deleted member 25]

Meanwhile, somewhere in the UK.
Rolls-Royce workers to strike in BMW pensions dispute - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

 

[Matski]

Meanwhile, somewhere in the UK.
Rolls-Royce workers to strike in BMW pensions dispute - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Hmm.. not sure where I stand on this one. To be honest, I don't trust unions and wouldn't normally support strike action.. on the flip side, it's not right to mess with peoples pensions.

Since final salary pensions are about as cushy as you can get, and we don't know if this £160,000 figure being tossed about relates to someone in their last couple of years before retirement who might be about to lose everything, or is a projected figure for someone who might have just started on the pension scheme and might "lose" (i.e. not be elligable) in 30 years time.. then I'm tempted to think Unite is making more of this than they should.

 

[SCOTT27]

Hmm.. not sure where I stand on this one. To be honest, I don't trust unions and wouldn't normally support strike action.. on the flip side, it's not right to mess with peoples pensions.

Since final salary pensions are about as cushy as you can get, and we don't know if this £160,000 figure being tossed about relates to someone in their last couple of years before retirement who might be about to lose everything, or is a projected figure for someone who might have just started on the pension scheme and might "lose" (i.e. not be elligable) in 30 years time.. then I'm tempted to think Unite is making more of this than they should.

I was reading about this on a political web site. Did Unite just have an election where the current leader banned their rival so he could win? Never heard of that happening outside North Korea and some other countries.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

I was reading about this on a political web site. Did Unite just have an election where the current leader banned their rival so he could win?

No.

 

[Rainer271]

Source: Bimmertoday

 

[Cashmere]

^ Really hope BMW finds their mojo with the Mini brand. They had something magical when they first revived the brand with the R53. Now it just seems like such a diluted brand with too many MAXI crossovers and a generic driving experience. I share Sutcliffe's thoughts on Mini and I think they apply to so many products in BMW's range.

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Put a pukka electric motor in the Mini, focus on the driving experience/fun factor and they've got a winner on their hands.