BMW Group Design once again scoops a clutch of prizes at the 2011 Good Design Awards

No fewer than six BMW Group models have received the prestigious 2011 Good Design Award – the BMW 6-series Convertible, the BMW 6-series Coupe, the BMW 1-series M Coupe, the BMW ActiveE, and the two motorcycle models BMW K 1600 GT/GTL along
with the BMW G650 GS. The annual Good Design Award ranks as the most celebrated international accolade in the field of product design – and this year once again it honours the outstanding quality of BMW Group Design.

The world’s oldest and most esteemed design prize was founded in 1950 in Chicago by the architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann Jr. is awarded by the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture, Art Design and Urban Studies. For more than 60 years now, this coveted accolade has recognised exceptionally innovative and visionary products, concepts and ideas that go beyond the regular horizons of everyday product design. The aim of the award, not least of all, is to raise public awareness of contemporary design together with related issues of sustainability.

The prize is awarded based on the criteria of functionality and aesthetics as originally laid down by Saarinen and Eames, and is now complemented by an ecological aspect that stipulates sustainable design in keeping with our times. 2011 saw the independent jury of design experts and architects sifting through a record number of applications from around the world to decide their final selection of more than 500 product designs and graphics from 38 countries that were deemed worthy of the Good Design Award.

The new BMW 6-series Convertible combines a stretched bonnet, set-back passenger compartment, long wheelbase and flat waistline with a classic soft-top roof featuring a distinctive 'fin' design. The car’s powerfully contoured surfaces and forward-surging lines are a reflection of its dynamic handling properties.
Aesthetes who delight in luxury and forward-looking technology need look no further than the new BMW 6-series Coupe, combining as it does dynamic athleticism with exclusive travel comfort. Adaptive LED Headlights represent an innovation in lighting technology and draw on the hallmark round headlight look in a new rendition of BMW’s iconic design cues.

The new BMW 1-series M Coupe cuts a compelling figure with its athletic demeanour and M-specific interior design. The optimised track width of the front and rear axles, an expansive front apron and powerfully flared wheel arches lend the BMW 1-series M Coupe its unmistakable character. The two sets of chrome-plated twin tailpipes, situated at the outer edges of the rear, make for the symmetrical look familiar from M styling.

With the BMW ActiveE, an all-electric-drive BMW 1-series Coupe, BMW is testing everyday usage of electric vehicles. The insights gleaned from this field test will flow directly into series development of the BMW i3. The intelligent configuration of the drive components and energy storage systems within the vehicle create the ideal prerequisites for customary BMW driving dynamics and extended functionality. This electric car offers four full seats, boot space of around 200 litres, rear-wheel drive and a range of approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) in day-to-day operation.

With its BMW K 1600 GT and BMW K 1600 GTL, BMW Motorrad is tapping into a new dimension of the touring experience. Both these motorcycles present a self-assured, imposing and distinctive appearance, sparking off a hefty dose of wanderlust at first glance.

With its lean and wiry off-road physique, the BMW G 650 GS motorbike evokes an impression of lightness and adventurousness. Its characteristic enduro design and its colour concept are fully in keeping with the BMW GS family style and round off the bike’s overall sporty impression. The quality and specification of this model coupled with its long-distance comfort set it apart from the competitors.

BMW Group Design has already won the coveted design award several times in the past. Last year it was the BMW 5-series Sedan, the Mini Countryman, the BMW S 1000 RR and the BMW Concept 6 design study that captured the prestigious prize. In 2008 honours went to the BMW 3-series Convertible, the BMW 1-series Coupe, the Mini Cooper S Clubman and four BMW motorcycles. Back in 2007, the jury of the Good Design Award paid tribute to the new BMW X5, the BMW 3-series Coupe, the new Mini and three motorcycle models.

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