MINI Vision Urbanaut: The virtual vision vehicle

MINI Vision Urbanaut
MINI Vision Urbanaut
MINI Vision Urbanaut

With the introduction of the MINI Vision Urbanaut virtual vision vehicle in November 2020, the MINI brand uncovered an all-new understanding of versatility through an imaginative vision of room. Also, presently the BMW Group is set to divulge an actual model of the vehicle which will permit crowds to connect all the more broadly with the spatial idea and practical materials at work. The model will be given its reality debut on 1 July 2021 at the DLD Summer meeting in Munich.

“At MINI we consider it to be our obligation to safeguard and foster the special qualities of our image throughout the forthcoming years and those further ahead,” clarifies Bernd Körber, Head of MINI. “With our eyes fixed on the future, we have fostered a thought, with the MINI Vision Urbanaut, of how we can take the MINI credits – as here, with the attention on the ‘Cunning Use of Space’ – into the eventual fate of versatility and decipher them in an ordinarily MINI manner. It carries the client’s very own space into the vehicle and opens up different opportunities for them, from making a metropolitan desert garden to encountering opportunity in the ‘Hunger for new experiences’ second. The MINI Vision Urbanaut addresses our picture of how MINI’s ‘Sharp Use of Space’ could give a response to the necessities of future urban areas and ways of life.”

Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design adds: “At MINI Design we accept that the most ideal approach to comprehend the general idea driving the MINI Vision Urbanaut is to encounter it. The sensation of room and the creative materials are simply requesting to be investigated. That is the reason it was vital for us from the start to likewise make an actual model of the MINI Vision Urbanaut. Furthermore, since second has come. We have arranged and fabricated each part of the model – which permits individuals to encounter the entirety of the features of the MINI Vision Urbanaut – at our MINI Design Studio in Munich.”

Broadening the possibility of portability past driving – the MINI minutes.

Scaled down sees its future self basically as an empowering influence of and ally for remarkable occasions, what we’re calling “Smaller than expected minutes”. Motivated by the inquiry “What sort of encounters would I like to have with my vehicle?”, they give the applied stage to the MINI Vision Urbanaut – for times when you’re voyaging and others when you’re not. What this implies all the more explicitly is embodied up by the MINI minutes “Chill”, “Hunger for new experiences” and “Energy”. The outside and inside of the vehicle change to mirror the MINI second close by thus give the on-board experience the most ideal stage and spatial climate. Aroma, sound and encompassing lighting keep on advancing the standard mind-set started by the picked MINI second. The change of the vehicle through the various minutes can now additionally be knowledgeable about shocking reality because of the formation of an actual model of the MINI Vision Urbanaut.

The Chill second welcomes you to get a breath and respite in the present time and place. The vehicle turns into a sort of retreat, a sanctuary where you can unwind or work with full fixation. While the back seat (Cozy Corner) welcomes different seating and lying positions, the illuminated Loop above it’s anything but an appearance enlivened by a green timberland shelter and can likewise be diminished. In the focal region, the roundabout instrument creases down to turn into a table light, killing presentations or switches that may help the client to remember their auto environmental factors.

Craving for something new is the lone MINI second where the MINI Vision Urbanaut is being driven or driving with computerized driving capacities. At this time, the inside turns into the best spot for driving the vehicle, or being driven by it, and empowers those on board to rediscover the sentiment of movement. At the point when the client needs to drive themselves, a tap of a finger on the MINI logo draws out the directing haggle. What’s more, the UI on the focal round instrument likewise adjusts it’s anything but; a liveliness of the course, extra excursion data – like guest attractions and appearance time – is shown here for those ready.

The Vibe second puts time with others at middle of everyone’s attention – inside and out. Opening the side entryway and collapsing up the windscreen causes an inviting situation that obscures the limits between the outside and inside. The focal round instrument turns into a media control focus. A liveliness of realistic equalizers moving with the music is projected onto surfaces of the front, back, haggles over the back seat, making a lovely club air. On the off chance that those ready so want, the vehicle could even start to look like a boombox. And afterward there is the fourth alternative, the customisable “my second”, which gives clients further extension for fitting the plan of the vehicle to their requirements and wants.

Diverse supportability.

Just as its wide scope of employments, the MINI Vision Urbanaut likewise centers around manageability – and this can be seen and experienced straightforwardly in different parts of the vehicle. The beginning stage for the idea was the “Shrewd Use of Space” for which MINI is famous; for example it offers most extreme space on the littlest conceivable impression. Albeit the MINI Vision Urbanaut is just 4.46 m long, its tallness permits it’s anything but an inside space that can be utilized from various perspectives and offers a totally different simplicity of development inside the vehicle. The electric drive framework guarantees locally outflow free portability. Also, another perspective is the extension for utilizing the vehicle for purposes past versatility. For sure, the MINI Vision Urbanaut likewise makes a metropolitan space for individuals when it’s stopping, essentially expanding the measure of time they will need to utilize the vehicle or simply hang out in it.

The MINI Vision Urbanaut likewise embarks to utilize assets capably. To this end, from the start of the idea stage the group zeroed in on reliably diminishing the quantity of segments and keeping away from pointless utilization of materials. This has been accomplished by improvements including smart double usefulness for the dashboard (it can transform into a daybed) and the introduction appearance of a round OLED community show – which reworks itself as an up-to-date light in the Chill second – over the table. Expanding length of utilization by guaranteeing materials can be supplanted is in like manner a need. Variable covers are a genuine illustration of how this can be accomplished. Furthermore, the inside has been made without the utilization of chrome or calfskin, a methodology that will likewise be carried out in the following MINI model age.

MINI Vision Urbanaut

Top caliber and reasonable material advancements.

The inside of the MINI Vision Urbanaut highlights a high extent of reused materials and the materials utilized are only sustainable and recyclable. The prevailing material in the inside are materials produced using reused materials (counting fleece, polyester and Tencel) which mix comfort and quality with delicateness and solace. The planners likewise gave additional consideration to arrangements made out of a solitary kind of material – what are known as “mono-materials”. These are not difficult to reuse sometime later and can be transformed into new items. The utilization of sustainable and recyclable stopper on the directing haggle of the floor adds an extraordinary touch because of its regular feel, and guarantees a truly wonderful inside environment. With everything taken into account, the materials idea for the MINI Vision Urbanaut features the incredibly significant degrees of visual and haptic quality that an economically planned inside can offer.

An encounter for every one of the faculties.

The MINI Vision Urbanaut covers all tangible points in making the ideal on-board insight. A vital component of the inside plan is in this way a painstakingly sharpened way to deal with aroma and sound. “The all encompassing methodology tending to every one of the faculties makes a really novel and remarkable experience,” clarifies Annabell Coffinet, Fragrance Designer at the BMW Group. “An unmistakable scent signature sticks in the mind and can help you to remember a positive climate and by and large experience. Along these lines, we are making another, extremely close to home association with especially critical occasions. We additionally needed to interface the MINI brand personality with a scent signature interestingly. This drift of something theoretical, invigorating and surprising carries feeling to how the brand’s message is discussed, a sort of global mark with a high recognisability factor. It will be prudent and uncovered as a component of a welcome situation.” Bringing equilibrium to the tactile experience, Renzo Vitale, Creative Director Sound, gives the different surfaces of the welcome situation scent a discernible structure. Just as the welcome sound, he additionally formed the music for the Chill, Vibe and Wanderlust minutes. In the Chill second, the vehicle encloses the client by the inconspicuous soundscapes of a woods, with stirring leaves and streaming water filling the inside – a fitting supplement to the dimmable woodland shelter impact. Acoustic sounds set the seal on the unwinding rich experience. The Wanderlust and Vibe minutes are joined by a soundtrack of extraordinarily created music which can be played both inside and outside the vehicle.

Simple love, advanced association

Another point with the MINI minutes was to utilize computerized combination to strengthen or advance the simple experience. This “simple love, advanced association” approach runs all through the vehicle. Surely, an extra advanced level has been incorporated under a few of the simple surfaces. Models here incorporate the table inside the vehicle (which starts the MINI minutes when the MINI Token is set in one of the openings), the light with OLED show and the LED lattices in the inside under a layer of material or toward the front and backsides of the vehicle. These spaces of the vehicle unite the simple and computerized universes into another and vivid experience. And the entirety of this would now be able to be knowledgeable about a genuine vehicle, because of crafted by the BMW Group’s modelers.

Uniting the BMW Group’s model-building skill.

As an imaginative space idea, the MINI Vision Urbanaut was planned from the back to front. The creators made the extensive inside experience prior to fostering the outside, utilizing floor plans, household items in addition to wooden scale models to give a sign of size. Throughout the span of the venture, expanded the truth was utilized to make a computerized model, which was then deliberately upgraded. The actual model of the MINI Vision Urbanaut was then assembled beginning to end at the MINI Design studio in Munich. Here, the BMW Group assembled all the mastery accessible to change virtual dreams into actual reality. Upholsterers, modelers, mechatronics engineers, developers, paint subject matter experts and others worked close by the planners to transform a dream into an actual model of nearly model quality. All things considered, the MINI Vision Urbanaut is certifiably not a static model, however a driveable and steerable one. Each part has been uniquely planned, accuracy made utilizing state of the art devices and created by hand. The serious level of imaginativeness inside the MINI Vision Urbanaut is featured by an inside plan that is suggestive of an advanced living space. The development of the model in this way stretched out from a traditional vehicle construct through furniture-production right to programming and shrewd innovative joining.

courtesy: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/

BMW Group remains world’s Number One premium automotive company

BMW Group remains world’s Number One premium automotive company

BMW Group remains world’s Number One premium automotive company

The BMW Group achieved its best-ever annual sales in 2017, the seventh consecutive year it has achieved a new annual record. This success was spread throughout the company with both BMW and MINI brands achieving new all-time high figures. BMW M and BMW i also achieved record sales, as did BMW Motorrad. With this sales result, the BMW Group reconfirms its position as the world’s leading premium automotive company.

Record sales for BMW
The company’s core BMW brand achieved a new all-time sales high, growing sales by 4.2% across the year, to total 2,088,283. BMW X vehicles continued to be significant growth drivers with sales of X vehicles up 9.6% compared to the previous year, despite limited availability of the BMW X3 due to the introduction of the new generation in November. The BMW 5 Series limousine, which underwent a model change during 2017, achieved growth of 55.2% (30,359) in December, with sales of the world’s leading premium business sedan up 6.3% (291,856) in the full year. Other models which contributed to the brand’s growth in 2017 include the BMW 1 Series (201,968 / +14.7%), and the BMW 7 Series (64,311 / +4.5%).

“We are delighted with these new record sales figures, which mean the BMW Group, with its three premium automotive brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, remains the world’s leading premium automotive company,” commented Ian Robertson, until 31 December 2017 BMW AG board member responsible for Sales and Brand BMW. “We have continued to increase sales despite headwinds in some major markets and model-changeovers of several of our most significant vehicles. This demonstrates the high desirability of our brands and products, ranging from the i3 to the M5 and from the BMW 1 Series to the BMW 7 Series. We clearly achieved our target of selling over 100,000 electrified vehicles in a single calendar year and are delighted that, following its model changeover, the BMW 5 Series returned to its position as segment leader in the final months of 2017,” Robertson continued.

Pieter Nota, who on 1 January 2018 succeeded Robertson on the board of BMW AG, added “I am confident BMW sales will continue to grow during 2018, while we also maintain our focus on profitability. Increased availability of BMW X models and our ongoing model offensive, which includes the launches of brand new models this year such as the BMW X2 and the BMW 8 Series, will ensure we bring even more customers to the BMW brand in 2018.”

Target exceeded: over 100,000 electrified vehicles sold in 2017. BMW Group’s leading role in premium electro-mobility confirmed
In December, the BMW Group celebrated delivery of the 100,000th electrified vehicle sold in 2017. In total, 103,080 electrified vehicles were delivered to customers during the year; this increase of 65.6% underscores the company’s leading position in electro-mobility. The BMW Group sold more electrified vehicles in Europe than any other premium manufacturer in 2017 and the company’s position on the world market is also extremely strong. Four years after its launch, sales of the BMW i3 grew in 2017 by 23.3% to total 31,482 worldwide. The plug-in hybrid BMW iPerformance vehicles also continue to grow in popularity, with sales almost doubling to total 63,605. Launched in June 2017, the MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid also made a significant contribution to boosting the BMW Group’s electrified sales, with a total of 5,799 delivered to customers around the world. The BMW Group is expecting strong double-digit growth in electrified vehicle sales in 2018. By the end of 2019, the company aims to have at least half a million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the road.

Powerful growth at BMW M GmbH
BMW’s high-performance BMW M vehicles achieved record sales in 2017. Deliveries of BMW M and BMW M Performance vehicles increased by 19.1% compared to the previous year, with overall sales topping 80,000 for the first time ever. In its first full year on the market, the BMW M2 (fuel consumption combined: 8.5-7.9 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 199-185 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures were calculated as per the EU test cycle and may vary depending on the tyre format.) was the strongest growth driver, with total sales of 12,293. The BMW M Performance variants of the new BMW 5 Series also contributed strongly to the increase in sales. With the launch of the new BMW M5 in in the spring, BMW M’s powerful success story looks set to continue in 2018.

All-time-best sales figures for MINI
The MINI brand overall achieved a new sales record in 2017 with 371,881 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 3.2% on the previous year. The new MINI Countryman saw a jump in sales of 30.0% (84,441). Another significant contributor to the brand’s sales success was the MINI Convertible, which grew sales 12.0% (33,317). “We are delighted that with our new brand strategy, we have achieved a new sales record. The focus of the MINI portfolio on fewer but more characterful models was completed with the launch of the new MINI Countryman last year,” stated Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management responsible for MINI, Rolls-Royce, BMW Motorrad. “The Countryman contributed significantly to MINI’s growth in 2017 and the first MINI plug-in hybrid also achieved excellent results. I am sure that this success will continue into 2018, with the launch from March of the new MINI 3 and 5 door, as well as the MINI Convertible, supporting the brand’s further growth,” he continued.

Rolls-Royce
The Goodwood-based luxury house delivered 3,362 units (-16.2%) to customers in almost 50 countries during 2017. This result was achieved despite the absence of Phantom from the market due to model-changeover and against a backdrop of unsettled market conditions in the important Middle East market. New Phantom was unveiled in July to unprecedented worldwide acclaim by media and prospective customers alike and has a strong order book. First customer Phantoms are due to be delivered in January 2018.

BMW Motorrad
BMW Motorrad achieved a seventh consecutive record year, with more motorcycles and maxi-scooters delivered to customers than ever before. Sales across the range increased by 13.2% with a total of 164,153 units delivered worldwide – the ever- popular GS models were particularly strong growth drivers. A total of 14 new and updated models in the range, including additions to the R nineT family and the attractively priced G 310 R and G 310 GS also helped drive BMW Motorrad to its most successful sales year ever.

BMW & MINI sales in the markets / regions at a glance
The BMW Group maintains its focus on balanced sales around the world.

  • Asia was the company’s main growth driver in 2017 with China the most significant contributor. BMW and MINI sales in Mainland China, the company’s largest market, increased by 15.1% (594,388) in 2017. This increase was achieved despite the model changeover of the BMW 5 Series.
  • Europe maintained sales of BMW and MINI vehicles at the same extremely high level as the previous year, with a total of 1,100,975 (+0.9%) vehicles delivered to customers in the region, despite significant headwinds in the important UK market.
  • The Americas recorded a slight decrease in deliveries across the whole year (450,020/-2.0%) with the limited availability of BMW X models impacting on sales.

courtesy: www.press.bmwgroup.com

The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept: Racing without compromise. MINI presents design study at the IAA Cars 2017.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept: Racing without compromise. MINI presents design study at the IAA Cars 2017.

The BMW Group has chosen the IAA Cars 2017 show in Frankfurt a. M. to present the modern racing essence of a MINI – in the shape of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept. Inspired by the carmaker’s legendary triumphs in the Monte Carlo Rally exactly 50 years ago, this design study embodies undiluted dynamic flair and the ultimate in driving fun – on both the race track and the road. The concept car picks up the baton from the 2012 MINI John Cooper Works GP and 2006 MINI Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP Kit. Produced in strictly limited numbers (2,000 examples each), these two models explored the outer limits of their performance capability at the time.

“The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept is all about the unfettered feeling of driving and levels of performance found in motor sport competition,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad. “This is driving fun in its purest form.”

The design – compact proportions and sporting agility.

The design of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept majors on purity and emotional richness. Significantly wider than the current MINI, the design study exudes dynamism and power. Large front and rear aprons, side skirts and a prominent roof spoiler create a confident appearance. The use of lightweight materials such as carbon fibre optimises the car’s power-to-weight ratio. And evenly balanced weight distribution is a ticket to MINI’s signature go-kart feeling.

“If you know about MINI, you’ll be aware of the brand’s long and successful history in motor sport,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept brings together the full suite of defining MINI design features and showcases them at their sportiest and most exciting. What we’re looking at here is maximum performance, maximum MINI.”

The front end.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept: Racing without compromise. MINI presents design study at the IAA Cars 2017.

Large air intakes and precisely moulded air deflectors dominate the front end, which cuts a low-to-the-road figure. Crisply cut add-on elements frame the smooth MINI silhouette and highlight the track focus of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept when viewed head-on. The space between the main body of the front end and the air deflectors further strengthens the car’s presence. The familiar colour contrasts of John Cooper Works models come in the form of the Black Jack Anthracite exterior paint finish – which shimmers between grey and black – and the accent colour Curbside Red metallic (a matt red shade). Curbside Red metallic provides a fresh take on the classical John Cooper Works red and visually accentuates the optimised geometry of the performance and add-on parts.

At the centre of the front end, iconic MINI design cues such as the elliptical headlights and hexagonal radiator grille sharpen the car’s identity and recognisability factor. At the same time, elements such as the powerdome with prominent air scoop in the bonnet and the hexagonal honeycomb radiator grille and air intakes in the front apron heighten the car’s sporting appearance. Further colour accents in Highspeed Orange enhance the visual impact of the headlights and air intake.

The lower edge of the large front apron reaches down close to the road, appearing to suck the front end towards the asphalt, while the car’s wide track and prominently flared wheel arches promise top-level handling and high cornering speeds. Another technical highlight is the front apron’s all-carbon-fibre construction, which reduces the car’s weight. The carbon matting is now directly visible and presented with a high-gloss paint finish with red hexagon graphic.

The sides.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept: Racing without compromise. MINI presents design study at the IAA Cars 2017.

In time-honoured MINI fashion, the interplay of narrowing windows and a rising shoulderline creates a wedge shape from the side and gives the car the appearance of powering forward even before it turns a wheel. Lower down, voluminous surfaces fuse into a muscular body and endow the flanks with agility and dynamism. The car number 0059 refers to the year the classic Mini was born: 1959.

Carbon-fibre side skirts provide the body with its lowest edge. 19-inch Racetrack lightweight wheels in classical multi-spoke design underline the design study’s performance aspirations. Contrasts in Curbside Red metallic – together with the Highspeed Orange on the inside of the rims – and the GP logo bring extra verve to the wheel design. Elsewhere, Curbside Red metallic and Highspeed Orange bring neatly judged highlights to the exterior mirror bases and door handles respectively.

The rear end.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept: Racing without compromise. MINI presents design study at the IAA Cars 2017.

The rear of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept picks up the striking use of forms in the front end and flanks. Here again, large surfaces are bordered by precisely formed air-channelling elements, and the positioning of the LED rear lights well to the outside of the rear underscores the car’s dynamic focus. Sophisticated touches, such as the half-Union Jack on each side, represent a nod to the concept car’s British origins, while also providing a sporty, technical flourish. The prominent roof spoiler is a visual statement of intent and slots cleanly into the geometry of the side elements.

Like the front end and flanks, the lower section of the car has a very precise and dynamic design. Carbon-fibre air vents and air deflectors are in optimum positions, and the two rain lights at the outer edges at the rear improve visibility in wet races. The classical central twin tailpipes low down at the rear embody the John Cooper Works DNA to eye-catching effect.

The interior – stripped down and with track-inspired looks.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept: Racing without compromise. MINI presents design study at the IAA Cars 2017.

The interior of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept is pared back to its core elements, its roll cage joined on board by little more than a pair of low-mounted bucket seats with five-point belts and a cleanly-designed instrument panel. Gearshift is by paddles on the steering wheel.

All the elements of the interior are trained squarely on the driver. The display and control concept with digital instrument cluster and Head-Up Display places the relevant information for the situation at hand directly in the driver’s eye-line, allowing absolute focus on the road to be maintained. Interaction between driver and car is otherwise digital, notably touch-control adjustment of suspension settings in MINI’s familiar central instrument. As digitalisation dictates, the display here is now in large-screen format. It is left to the large emergency cut-off button and the traditional MINI toggle switches with start/stop button to provide a bridge between the digital and analogue worlds.

A rear seat bench, headliner and conventional door trim panels are conspicuous by their absence, sacrificed in the interests of weight minimisation. Instead, the surfaces between the elements of the roll cage and the rear compartment are trimmed in lightweight panels with textured details and a hexagonal pattern. This creates a transition between the unadorned rear and more design-rich front cabin. The doors are opened using recessed grips with fabric straps, leaving the driver and passenger to clamber out through the roll cage in the usual racing car style.

The interior combines its pared-back sporting forms with eye-catching elements and bold colour accents. The result is a face-off between the less familiar aesthetic of a racing-car bodyshell and the exclusivity of high-quality production-car appointments. Against the backdrop of the white basic space, black, patinated smooth leather on the head restraints and bolsters provides a neat contrast with the back-and-white knitted textile in the central section of the seats. A new 3D knitting technique gives a classy and modern feel, while red accents send out a visual statement. The bright, aluminium roll cage also stands apart clearly from the black 3D-printed parts in the doors and instrument panel, and a lightly-structured trim element with hexagonal graphic reinforces the sporty, modern look. Curbside Red metallic adds a colour accent to selected functional components, while the Highspeed Orange shade in details like the belt straps, inscriptions and the stitching of the steering wheel and seats acts as a second accent colour to complement the red. With 3D printing and 3D knitting techniques, MINI is bringing technologies to the interior of the concept car which will enable both tool-free production and simple personalisation in the future.

MINI + high performance + race-track feeling = John Cooper Works.

The character of the MINI John Cooper Works GP Concept is defined by a motor sport heritage which stretches back over more than five decades. Indeed, the classic Mini was transformed by legendary sports car designer John Cooper into a byword for driving fun on the road and an extraordinarily successful competitor in the race and rally scene. A motor sport career which began exactly 50 years ago reached its zenith with three overall victories in the Monte Carlo Rally. Today, the John Cooper Works name is synonymous with products and models whose quality is rooted in established motor sport know-how and an association with the British premium small car which dates back all those years. The result: the motor sport experience comes roaring into everyday life.

courtesy: www.press.bmwgroup.com