Coupe design reflects power and grace

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-24 06:52

Large Medium Small

BMW provided an insight into its design philosophy and development strategy at Auto China in Beijing.

The presentation provided extensive background information on the premium automobile manufacturer's design culture. The main focus was on the elegant 4-door vehicle BMW Concept Gran Coupe.

The concept study on display showed the design expertise that has gone into creating this new vehicle. As with the Concept CS 2007, BMW again set new benchmarks in the design of 4-door coupes.

The classic features of all BMW coupes are the long wheelbase, the vaulted bonnet with forward-pointing lines, the set-back greenhouse, the flat silhouette, the coupe-style roof line and the short front overhang. The surface structures and design quality illustrate the aspiration of the BMW brand.

In the BMW Concept Gran Coupe the company strives to achieve a 4-door vehicle, which combines the exclusivity of a Gran Turismo with the fascination of a high-performance sports car. The design of the concept study underscores the expertise of the brand BMW in the development of vehicles with a distinctive sporty character, which offer space for more than two occupants.

The body design expresses sporty flair. The style signals the highest level of dynamic performance with its elegant, flat proportions.

The front section is defined by the BMW kidney grille characteristic of the brand. The kidney grille has a flat appearance, and is asymmetrical when viewed from the side. The central section with the kidney grille is formally separated from other features such as the headlights and air inlets. The air inlet runs back into the side section, making the front section appear particularly wide. All elements of the front section appear to merge to form a single, fluid curve.

The body height is just under 1.4 meters. This makes the BMW Concept Gran Coupe up to 100 millimeters flatter than the BMW 5 Series or the BMW 7 Series Sedan. The roofline tapers off gently into the rear, thereby elongating the vehicle's proportions. The forward-tilted shark nose visually extends the bonnet and creates characteristic BMW proportions with its forward-pointing look. The Hofmeister kink, is strikingly formed, emphasizing the exclusive character of the vehicle. The frameless doors whose glass surfaces appear to merge seamlessly without being interrupted by columns give the car a modern edge.

At the rear, the lights and tailpipe trim are clearly visible. The third brake light, positioned in the rear window, is fitted with LED technology.

Another sporty feature is the rim in which the individual spokes extend into the centre of the rim towards the hub, giving the rim a three-dimensional quality.

The sculpted style makes the car unique and attractive. It also enables the light to be selectively reflected and channelled. The BMW Concept Gran Coupe is a further development of the classic design of a notchback sedan in which the individual body sections merge harmoniously. The impact of this vehicle derives not just from specific highlights but also from its overall appearance. The car's dynamic potential is embodied in its proportions and lines, signaling power but also grace.