BMW Group Design wins the 2012 Green GOOD DESIGNTM Award for the first time.

BMW i8 Concept, BMW i3 Concept and MINI Rocketman Concept earn coveted special prize for sustainable product design.

Munich. A trio of BMW Group concept cars – the BMW i8 Concept, BMW i3 Concept and MINI Rocketman Concept – have been presented with the 2012 Green GOOD DESIGNTM Award for sustainable product design. This is the first time a BMW Group product has been among the winners of the annual Green GOOD DESIGNTM Award, which was launched in 2009 as a special off-shoot of the GOOD DESIGNTM Award. The world’s oldest and most prestigious design prize was founded in Chicago in 1950 by architects Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, and Edgar Kaufmann Jr.

The Green GOOD DESIGNTM Award aims to increase public appreciation of contemporary design and the sustainability considerations that go with it. To this end, the jury focused on criteria such as low energy consumption and a reduced reliance on fossil fuels. The coveted special prize is awarded by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, together with The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. More than 120 products, people, governments, environmental programmes and architecture projects from 27 nations were presented with the Green GOOD DESIGNTM Award in 2012.

The design of the BMW i8 Concept embodies the flawless interplay of technology and aesthetics. Its design language and low-slung silhouette exude a feeling of dynamic prowess. Large windows and exposed aerodynamic features offer an unobstructed view of the car’s innovative lightweight construction, showcasing its commitment to maximising efficiency. Its athletic character is also advertised by the state-of-the-art design of the interior, whose stand-out features are its rigorous driver focus and use of renewable raw materials.

The design of the electrically powered BMW i3 Concept offers an immediate indication of the car’s attributes. The i3 represents the dynamic interpretation of a visionary car for urban areas. Its futuristic one-box design provides maximum interior space on the smallest possible footprint. This innovative set-up allows the clear design of the interior to generate a feeling of freedom and openness and, in so doing, create a fresh and expansive perception of space.

The exterior appearance of the MINI Rocketman Concept picks up on the unmistakable design language of the classic MINI, while the concept’s overall form combines traditional values with innovative automotive design. The concept is a 3+1-seater with three doors and an exterior length of just over three metres. The MINI Rocketman Concept meets the demands of the mobile urban lifestyle of the future by exemplifying MINI brand values in their purest form. Clever functionality, smile-inducing agility, exceptional efficiency and irresistible design come together in an immensely attractive and ground-breaking small car concept for the premium segment – and retain an authentic MINI identity in the process.

BMW Group Design has won the coveted GOOD DESIGNTM Award several times in recent years. In 2011 the prize went to the BMW 6 Series Convertible, BMW 6 Series Coupe, BMW 1 Series M Coupe, BMW ActiveE, BMW K 1600 GT/GTL and BMW G 650 GS. And the previous year the BMW 5 Series Sedan, MINI Countryman, BMW S 1000 RR and BMW Concept 6 concept car were honoured with the renowned award.

Source: BMW Asia