Auto Design

€170 million invested into facilities aiming at top Aerodynamic Efficiency.

North American parts suppliers consider BMW AG the best automaker for adopting innovations into vehicles, according to an Automotive News study compiled with J.D. Power and Associates.

In a non-related event, the German company offered another convincing demonstration how keen it is to maintain its leadership. The ferocious competition with its Bavarian rival, Audi, is only making innovation and progress even faster and more relevant.

BMW’s strategy for the near and medium term future is clear, as far as products are concern: they will have to be more and more dynamically efficient. The trend setting keyword is “innovations” and the company bet on three areas: drivetrains, lightweight design and aerodynamics.

The Efficient Dynamic strategic program, launched a decade ago by BMW is today the clear leader in lowering C02 emissions, among premium carmakers.

Much like design, aerodynamics cost a lot of money in development but the production of a more attractive and aerodynamic car costs no more money, whereas lightweight car and better drivetrains might indeed cost some money per car produced.

Anticipating the upcoming (and current) trend BMW did not waste time and did not spare investment money, when it committed itself to the development of high efficiency vehicles, and swiftly approved plans to build two more wind tunnels right next door to their FIZ (R&D Centre) home to six-thousands designers and engineers.

For the past three decades, BMW have been operating their full-scale model at the Aschheim testing ground, some 20 km away from the FIZ R&D Centre.

Now they will be able to perform a much greater number of tests and, even more relevant, designers and engineers will have faster and easier connection to the two wind tunnels available next door at BMW Group Aerodynamic Test Centre (ATC). This is an ultra-modern 5-story building that will soon be the work place for some 500 specialists dedicated to all aspect of car design, engineering and aerodynamics. Its beautiful architecture is a new landmark in Munich, just like BMW main building in the capital city of Bavaria, where it also plays the role of largest employer.

Looking at the sophisticated equipment and tests performed in the new ATC is a clear witness of the fundamental importance of aerodynamics with it comes to fuel and performance efficiency. According to BMW experts, there is no doubt that starting from a speed of 80 kph; aerodynamics is the most relevant factor for fuel efficiency. This does not mean that below that speed aerodynamics is irrelevant. Indeed, it does matter but it is not yet the top factor, with weight, friction and rolling resistance also playing a relevant role.

There are indeed two wind tunnel, both with a running belt simulating the road related speed as well as the air speed. The largest one, designed for full-scale model and actual car (as well as other sort of vehicles or test) can test aerodynamic behaviours at speeds up to 300 kph.

The second one, called Aerolab because it is dedicated to advanced aerodynamic research rather than just tests, is large enough to allow test of full size models and cars but is specially equipped for scale models. With the air velocity reaching 140 kph they car simulate condition of vehicles driving up to 280 kph with 1:2 scale models.

In addition, focusing on their “Efficient Dynamic” philosophy, BMW presented their all new six cylinder inline Twin Power Turbo engines and the all-new 8-speed automatic transmission engineered to further reduce fuel consumption (and CO2 emissions) while improving performance, thus re-asserting their current and future leadership, when it comes to reducing both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The new transmission is ready for applications with Hybrid technology, xDrive and Start&Stop technology. The first BMWs to benefits of its innovations are the new BMW 760i and 760iLm whereas the soon to be launched BMW 5 Series GT will be the first to show the ultimate combination of Efficient Dynamics 2009 package.

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