The BMW X5 received in Frankfurt at the IAA the best new design 2007 autonis award for off-road vehicles.
BMW Press Release:
Munich. At the Frankfurt International Motor Show 2007 yesterday , the BMW X5 was voted winner of the competition "autonis" - best new design 2007 - in the category off-road vehicles. The new version of the BMW X5, which was launched on the German market in March 2007, managed to assert itself well ahead of its class competitors. The result is proof that this unique Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) by BMW not only impresses through superior driving characteristics, but is also perceived by the general public as an
exceptionally attractive and stylish vehicle.
In a reader survey, the car magazine "auto motor und sport" had determined the most appealing new vehicles launched within the last twelve months. Voting was effected solely according to visual criteria, whereby readers were able to allocate plus and minus points for the design of the vehicles they assessed. No vehicle in any other segment was mentioned as often and judged as positively as the BMW X5. Those taking part in the survey also gave noticeably high marks for the
design of other new BMW models. The BMW 5 Series won second place in the luxury class category. The BMW 1 Series and the BMW 3 Series Convertible were also readers' favourites, managing to seize third place in the classes for compact vehicles and convertibles respectively. Moreover, the new MINI contributed to a further class victory for the BMW Group, becoming clear winner of the "autonis" in the small car category.
Successful design is not evident at first glance.
Without a doubt, the design of BMW and
MINI vehicles is striking and always leaves a positive impression. This is precisely the goal BMW Group designers aspire to achieve with their work. They design vehicles that not only appeal to people at first glance, but also achieve a sustainable visual effect. BMW chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk explains: "We designers wish to make owning a BMW an experience, and we aspire to establish a relationship between people and their product that is continually deepened." Consequently, the design of a BMW is always synonymous with authentic product substance, and as such it renders this substance perceptible and discernable to the customer.
Initially, it arouses the attention of the beholder through an aesthetic appearance that reflects the identity of the premium brand BMW. Moreover, it consistently sparks emotions that result in a vehicle design that permanently exceeds expectations and binds the customer to the product and the brand. In this way, the design becomes a success factor for the entire company.
Basis of design development: The "Collective Intelligence" principle.
The design of an automobile is seen as a crucial purchase criterion that increases both driving pleasure and resale value. The BMW X5 owes its excellent position in this field to a fundamental
design strategy that is utilised in the design of all BMW Group vehicles. Part of this strategy is a specific form of cooperation known within BMW Group Design as "Collective Intelligence". For example, in addition to market and market-related criteria, demands implemented by specialists in the field of aerodynamics, safety, ergonomics or series production compatibility are increasingly incorporated into design development.
Therefore, there is a necessity in every phase for different skills of the highest level.
For example, when a designer furnishes a concept, he then teams up with a modeller who transfers the sketches in a 1 to1 format into a three-dimensional model made of clay, an industrial building material. Additionally, a design engineer is involved during the entire development phase up to realisation, a person who is able to relate to the two experts' proposals and "defend" the development process in alignment with the technical requirements of series production in the countless coordination rounds. These three specialists form the core of a successful design team within the BMW Group. When selecting colleagues, the BMW Group attaches the utmost importance not only to exceptional know-how, but also to an ability to cooperate. The "Collective Intelligence" principle is based on willingness to share knowledge in order to be able to fully exploit the collective pool of specialised information and experience as a collective community.
At BMW Group Design, competition and teamwork belong together.
At the same time colleagues at the BMW Group are permanently exposed to tough internal competition. Several designers work simultaneously and consistently on the design of the same model. The combination of rivalry and teamwork results in a highly creative and fruitful working atmosphere. Each of the team members knows he or she is ultimately pulling together with all of the other colleagues. Thus, rivals even consult each other during a competitive phase. Head of BMW Group Design, Christopher E. Bangle, aspires to motivate his colleagues through the power of a mutual vision. "Individual freedom and teamwork do not contradict each other", he says. "Our employees do not work for their own benefit, but for the benefit of the customer, the vehicle and the brand."
Thanks to the decidedly collaborative working method at BMW Group Design, the individual skills of each colleague from different specialised fields generate enormous creative potential. In this way a whole is created that is much more effective than the sum of its individual parts.
The success of this principle is evident. Numerous awards document impressively BMW's outstanding core competence in the development of premium vehicles that fulfil the highest standards in innovation, dynamics and attractiveness. BMW vehicles consistently receive awards for exceptional design, whether from specialist juries or as a result of public surveys. In addition to the internationally recognised red dot award 2007 for outstanding product design, the BMW Group was also presented with the prize for the "Design Team of the Year".
