The BMW Group can add another chapter to its successful history in the red dot awards, with BMW Group Design taking home four of the internationally renowned distinctions in the red dot award: product design 2013 competition.
The BMW M6 Gran Coupe, BMW 1 Series, BMW 3 Series Touring and BMW R 1200 GS motorcycle were granted red dot design awards in the “Automotive and Transportation” category in acknowledgement of their excellent design quality. The awards will be presented at the red dot gala, taking place in the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany on 1 July 2013. The guest list is expected to include more than 1,200 international figures from the worlds of industry, politics and media.
The red dot award was first presented in 1955 and is one of the world’s most respected product design prizes. The jury of 37 internationally acclaimed design luminaries presents the award in recognition of outstanding achievement across the most diverse fields of creative endeavour. And the competition continues to hold considerable appeal, with a total of 1,865 independent designers and large companies from 54 countries putting themselves forward for the red dot award: product design 2013. In all, 4,662 entries were received in the 19 categories.
Four submissions from BMW Group Design earned red dot awards for design quality excellence. The design of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, for example, embodies an exceptional harmony of athletic and aesthetic appeal. Hallmark M design features influenced directly by technical considerations – such as cooling air requirements, chassis geometry, weight balance and aerodynamics – open a clear window into the performance capability of the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. The front of the car is dominated by its large air intakes, standard Adaptive LED Headlights and an M kidney grille designed especially for this model. From the side, the first four-door Coupe in the BMW M GmbH ranks is clearly distinguishable from the BMW M6 Coupe. The low roofline flowing smoothly into the rear, the swage line – which takes in the door openers – and side windows extending well into the C-pillars accentuate the dynamically stretched silhouette. The extremely lightweight, impressively strong high-tech material CFRP is used in the construction of the roof. Its visible carbon structure provides an eye-catching feature, as does a dynamic recess in the centre of the roof.
The 3-door BMW 1 Series also presents a compelling proposition with its powerful, typically BMW proportions. Its distinctive looks, headlined by dynamically stretched lines, mark it out both from its compact segment rivals and from its 5-door 1 Series sibling. Wide doors with frameless windows, the “free-standing” side window design – undisturbed even by the B-pillars – and the extremely low-slung look of the roofline allow the car to cut an elegantly sporty figure.
The BMW 3 Series Touring adds variability and lifestyle qualities to the core values of the brand. The stretched silhouette and sloping rear window exude a feeling of speed even before the car has moved a muscle, while the smoothly downward-sloping roofline and large tailgate hint at the versatile nature of the interior. Like the BMW 3 Series Sedan, the front end of the Touring represents a consistent example of design development and – through the single stylistic unit of headlights and kidney grille – precise design. One of the stand-out aspects of the interior is its “layering” treatment of volumes, i.e. the interplay and offsetting of various layers of the cabin architecture which, together with the customary BMW driver focus, puts all important functions within easy reach.
The new BMW R 1200 GS makes a persuasive case for itself with its well-resolved combination of unmistakable design language and athletic off-road stature. Its familiar GS design platform helps make the new version of the world’s most popular touring enduro a case study in how to take the styling of an iconic motorcycle to another new level of perfection.
The BMW Group has enjoyed plentiful success in the red dot award over recent years. In 2012 BMW collected 11 accolades, including two special “best of the best” prizes for the BMW AirFlow2 helmet and Husqvarna Nuda 900 R motorcycle. In 2011 the BMW 6 Series Convertible and BMW X3 received awards, with the BMW 5 Series Touring capturing the “best of the best” title.
