BMW Group receives three 2011 red dot awards for outstanding design quality. Winning threesome: BMW 5 Series Touring, BMW 6 Series Convertible and BMW X3.

Munich. The red dot awards have once again recognised the high standards of BMW Group Design in 2011. This year BMW sees a trio of models honoured at the internationally renowned awards: the BMW 5 Series Touring, BMW 6 Series Convertible and BMW X3. Indeed, the new BMW 5 Series Touring secured the special “red dot: best of the best” prize for top design quality in the “Automobiles, transport and caravans” category. The new BMW 6 Series Convertible was awarded the red dot for outstanding design, and the international panel of experts presiding over the red dot awards 2011 selected the BMW X3 for an honourable mention. The presentation ceremony will take place on 4 July 2011 at the Award Gala in the Aalto Theatre in Essen, with more than 1,200 guests from around the world attending the festivities.

The red dot award is among the world’s leading honours for product design. It was first conferred in 1955 and recognises outstanding design achievements in a wide range of categories covering not only cars, architecture, household and consumer electronics, but also fashion, life sciences and medicine. When judging the submitted products, the jury of international design experts based their appraisals on a variety of criteria ranging from degree of innovation to functionality, all the way to the product’s environmental credentials.

The ultimate seal of quality conferred in the red dot awards – the “best of the best” – honours exceptionally high-level as well as pioneering design. It was bestowed on the BMW 5 Series Touring in recognition of a car whose characteristic design features are above all reflected in its highly individual proportions and surface design – an individuality that creates a dynamic and powerful look. Its long bonnet, short overhangs, longest wheelbase in its segment, stretched lines in side view and dynamically sloping roofline lend the new BMW 5 Series Touring a harmony and elegance that is unmatched among its competitors. “We are very happy to have demonstrated through the BMW 5 Series Touring that functionality can be translated into appealing design. In this way, BMW blends outstanding functionality with a particularly modern and emotional aesthetic,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design.

In the new BMW 6 Series Convertible, the typical proportions of a BMW open-top model – the stretched bonnet, set-back passenger cell, long wheelbase and flat waistline – are combined with a classic soft top in characteristic “fin” design. Powerfully contoured surfaces and the forward-surging dynamic of its lines leave no doubt as to its supreme driving properties. The luxurious ambience inside the cabin includes the driver-oriented cockpit that is a hallmark brand feature, while also imparting an exclusive sense of cosseted security to the front and rear passengers. Nowhere is the high-level functionality of the interior underscored more strikingly than by the newly designed freestanding Control Display of the standard-fitted iDrive operating system.

The body design of the new BMW X3, which was awarded a red dot honourable mention, radiates urbane elegance and multifaceted agility. The combination of a flat front end with a raised rear end creates a dynamic wedge shape when viewed from the side, clearly alluding to its sporting credentials. The concave and convex bodywork contours are structured with striking lines. The interior of the new BMW X3 boasts a generous and flexible spatial concept, high-grade materials and a characteristically three-dimensional surface design to ensure a modern, premium ambience coupled with intelligent functionality.

The unique quality of BMW Group Design is anchored in a cross-brand philosophy that allows the meticulous exploration of the character of each brand and model with a view to accurately reflecting these individual attributes in the design of the relevant vehicle. The result is automobiles that take hallmark brand design cues and lend them an individual interpretation to create a look which convincingly expresses the salient characteristics of each model. The resulting design quality extends across all vehicle segments to produce unique, unmistakable and fascinating products.

The outstanding quality of BMW Group Design has been repeatedly recognised by the red dot awards in recent years. In 2010 the BMW Group scooped up eleven red dots, while in 2009 it was a total of seven. Among the seven BMW Group submissions honoured in 2008, two also received the special “best of the best” distinction: the BMW 3 Series Convertible and the BMW G 450 X motorcycle. With this highest of red dot award accolades in 2011, the BMW 5 Series Touring continues its success story following the prestigious iF Gold Award already conferred on it this year.