BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept Video Teaser

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Confirming earlier reports, BMW has released a teaser video of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept. Besides a glimpse of some radical looking bodywork, no specific details have been released yet. However, BMW is calling it a "new revolutionary concept car with BMW EfficientDynamics technology." That's it.

Previously (see link above), photos of a unknown sleek looking BMW concept car were spied while being loaded onto a transport truck. It was thought that this was BMW's concept surprise called the Z Vision Concept headed for the Frankfurt Motor Show. Unfortunately, BMW capped the hype by declaring it a five year old design study that was being moved from their design studio in Germany to storage somewhere.

In conjunction with this teaser video, BMW has also launched today the successor of their BMW-web.tv website. Located at BMW.tv the new IPTV website marks the end of a two year beta phase of BMW-web.tv which registered more than 70 million video views during that time. Over the coming weeks and months, BMW will roll out thirteen other local-language websites.



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BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept Teaser No. 2 Released

Following a rather perplexing teaser video of the eagerly anticipated Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, BMW has settled our nerves by revealing a second teaser photo. The new teaser image puts into perspective the first image of the passenger side rear quarter panel area with a flowing blue spoiler of sorts and red LED tailamp. This second image shows the driver's side quarter panel while viewing from the side.

A source close to BMW told WCF that the Vision EfficientDynamics concept is a supercar utilizing a small diesel hybrid engine producing approximately 800Nm and an average fuel consumption figure of around 3.5 litres per 100km (67.2 mpg US / 80.7 mpg UK). They say it will be able to go from 0 - 100km/h in under 5 seconds. If these numbers are remotely true, BMW is certainly not exaggerating when they call it a"new revolutionary concept car with BMW EfficientDynamics technology."

Revealed on IAAblog.com, the newly launched website is an official BMW-Blog dedicated for the coverage of the IAA, Frankfurt Motor Show which takes place in just three weeks. A BMW official writes, "We will cover all the BMW- and MINI-Stuff during the next weeks and will feature exclusive content. But we'll also show the other Car-Highlights from the Motor Show since mid August, and also live, starting from 14th September."

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Official Details




Frankfurt's auto show shaping up as its greenest, most wired ever--and BMW's new concept coupe is leading the charge.

MotorAuthority has reported for weeks on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept in the works for the 2009 Frankfurt auto show. Rumors placed the car as a coupe, then a four-door, then a little unbelievably as a three-cylinder hybrid.

Almost all of the leaked details have turned out to be true, as BMW confirms the details of the new concept set for a world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.

At its core, the Vision EfficientDynamics concept is a sportscar in the BMW vein, with promised M-car performance levels. It's the drivetrains that are the shockers: this particular vision sees a future BMW sportscar sporting a three-cylinder diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's a tour de force--at least in concept, since no automaker has yet produced a diesel hybrid, or a mass-market plug-in hybrid, not to mention a combination of the two.



BMW Vision EfficientDynamics: Greener Than Thou

With the new Vision concept, BMW isn't simply keeping pace with the Chevy Volts, Prius plug-ins and Peugeot diesel hybrid concepts floated by those automakers. It's a trump card that marries all those technologies into a single halo car that could lead the way to lighter, more efficient, more dramatically styled BMW coupes of the future.

It could also be the engineering equivalent of conjecture. There's so much going on beneath its body, it's difficult to imagine all the green-car technologies knitted together in harmony. It's hard to write them in a single sentence without running on, even. There's a direct-injection, 1.5-liter, 163-hp, three-cylinder turbodiesel, two electric motors (one per axle), a set of lithium-ion batteries, and a software controller that modulates and marries both powertrains to a combined total of 356 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque.

The EfficientDynamics concept uses all three in tandem or selectively. Using only the diesel engine's power, a six-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the rear wheels. The hybrid powertrain is actually two distinct applications, a "conventional" hybrid system applied to the rear wheels and a hybrid motor hooked to the front wheels. The rear-wheel hybrid system operates in tandem with the diesel engine, while the front system operates on battery power alone. As such, BMW says the Vision EfficientDynamics could provide all-wheel drive in electric-only mode, with battery power twisting its front and rear axles simultaneously.

The EfficientDynamics concept's performance is geared to convince Bimmerphiles that green and clean doesn't mean thin power and willowy handling. BMW claims a 155-mph top speed and a 0-60 mph time of less than 4.8 seconds, while providing fuel economy of almost 63 mpg, and for European enthusiasts, CO2 emissions of 99 grams per kilometer.

Because it's also a plug-in hybrid, those controversial CO2 emissions could be halved to 50 grams per kilometer, if the Vision EfficientDynamics were juiced up with electricity and driven on battery power alone. The plug-in technology used means the concept car would use a standard 220-volt household outlet to recharge its batteries. A 2.5-hour recharge time is predicted, though on a 380-volt line, BMW says a 44-minute full recharge is possible.



Driving range could pass 400 miles with fuel or 31 miles on electricity alone, BMW also adds.
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics: dial M for model

Is this the future look of BMW? BMW only says the grand tourer body uses aerodynamics extensively as functional design elements. A low front end and active louvers cool the drivetrain when needed, and close to improve airflow when unnecessary. The racing-inspired details continue with well-managed airflow--so tightly tuned, the EfficientDynamics concept generates a coefficient of drag of 0.22, while today's best production cars sit at 0.24 (pointedly, that car is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.)

By BMW's measure, the EfficientDynamics concept sits in the midst of BMW's high-performance coupe range. It measures 181.1 inches long, 74.8 inches wide, and 48.8 inches tall, and weighs 3076 pounds. The concept has 5.3 cubic feet of luggage space, enough for two golf bags.



The body of the EfficientDynamics concept is lightweight in design and execution. The suspension and shell are aluminum, the roof and door skins autochromic polycarbonate glass. Inside, it's more of the same: Kevlar frames the seats, and connects them to the center console, but elsewhere, sustainability is penned into the colors and materials chosen.

LED lighting inside has ambient hues, while the headlights and taillights are linked to the ambient lighting to shift its color and intensity, depending on exterior conditions. A head-up display and night vision are configured into the gauges and driver displays.

Sophisticated software underpins virtually every system of the EfficientDynamics concept. That software takes constant readings from the car's systems and interprets the data to enable more efficient operation. An example: the navigation system's traffic data can cue the drivetrain to shut down the concept's cooling fans to prepare it for more efficient highway operation. Even the air conditioning and electric power-steering sensitivity are constantly tweaked in this way for optimum performance.

MotorAuthority is headed to Germany in a few weeks to bring you more on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept, live from Frankfurt. And, in tandem with the EfficientDynamics concept, we'll bring you the latest on the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid and BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid, too. For all of High Gear Media's live coverage of the show and these new hybrids, follow the links below--or write your own preview of the show, the cars and the concepts by signing up to become a High Gear Media contributor.

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BMW Vision EfficientDynamics. Part1

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BMW Vision EfficienctDynamics Concept Spotted - new 3D animation video added

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BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept Officially Unveiled at Frankfurt Preview Event

BMW hosted a preview event to the IAA in Frankfurt where its Vision EfficientDynamics hybrid super car concept was officially unveiled. Company chairman and CEO Dr. Norbert Reithofer spoke and said something very interesting regarding his company's preferred future powertrain solution.

"The car needs to evolve through innovation," said Reithofer . "We are the engine more efficient and make the total of vehicle technology more optimally. In addition, Hybrid is also for us a temporary solution. And especially for large metropolitan areas, a car is needed for electric base. We will continue our research work which hydrogen regard."

So it seems that although the Vision EfficientDynamics is extremely advanced in engine and body construction technology, it is not the final solution for the foreseeable, sustainable future.

To recap the 2+2 seater is powered by a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo diesel hybrid with a total system output of 262kW (356 hp) and maximum torque 800Nm (590 lb-ft). It goes to all four wheels via two electric motors located on both the front and rear axles. The 0 - 100km/h sprint time is 4.8 seconds and peak velocity is electronically limited to 250km/h.

The car's acceleration and top speed performance are stunning considering it has an average fuel consumption figure of 3.76 litres/100 km (75.1 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.

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BMW Prepping Production Version Of Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

There's an arms race afoot among the major luxury carmakers, and it's all about power--electric power. Audi is prepping the e-tron, Mercedes-Benz has OK'd the SLS AMG Electric, and now BMW is reported to be working on a production version of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept.

We brought you the first official details on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept straight from last year's Frankfurt Auto Show, but here's a quick refresher: it's a three-cylinder diesel, four-door, plug-in hybrid that promises M Division performance from its combined 356-horsepower, 590-pound-foot output. The arrangement of the hybrid powertrain allows the diesel engine to drive the rear wheels directly or with assistance from a rear-axle electric motor through a six-speed gearbox, while the electric motor up front drives the front wheels on pure electricity, and all three systems can work in tandem for maximum performance. This delivers a range of possibilities for in-town and performance driving.

According to the report on the Vision's production path, BMW is looking at turning the highly conceptual design into a production-ready car for 2013. Target volumes are about 5,000 to 10,000, meaning BMW is planning to make the car at least reasonably affordable. Despite the relatively high volume targets, the report indicates BMW is envisioning this car as a successor to the M1, a legend in its own right, and progenitor of the M Division.

We may be able to look forward to a preview of the new plug-in hybrid this summer, possibly leading up to a nearer-to-production concept preview at Paris. One thing that's for sure, according to the report, is that the long and clumsy Vision EfficientDynamics name will be making a quiet exit. And 2013 will be one interesting year for performance electrics.

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