Board Member Speeches at the at the 85th International Geneva Auto Show 2015

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Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG

Bonjour and welcome to the BMW Group!

We have been providing mobility for our customers for 99 years.

In 2014 we achieved a new all-time high in sales: For the first time ever, we delivered more than two million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles to our customers.

BMW is and will remain a sporty brand. This is why we have been engaged in motorsports for a long time. The new season of MotoGP – the premier league of motorcycle racing – starts in late March. Since 1999, BMW M has provided the safety car fleet for MotoGP. Just recently, BMW M and Dorna Sports have extended their cooperation until 2020.

Today, I have an exclusive debut for you – the new BMW M4 MotoGP Safety Car.

In MotoGP, safety cars have to meet particularly high standards. At BMW M manufacturing, this vehicle is built specifically for tough use in professional racing. After all, the safety car moves among the world’s best drivers – within a highly dynamic environment. This is where it ensures safety.

In technological terms, the new BMW M4 Safety Car sets new standards. For the very first time, this car applies our innovative water injection technology. Yes, you heard me correctly – water. The injected water spray cools the intake air and provides a significant increase in performance. At the same time, it reduces fuel consumption and emissions. This is BMW EfficientDynamics!

The benefits of our water injection will soon be available to our BMW M customers as well. That is a successful technology transfer from racing to series vehicles.

Our BMW M customers appreciate this: Last year, BMW M increased sales by 44 percent – to 45,000 cars. Our M Performance models account for a significant share of all cars sold. They are very popular – especially in the smaller model series.

Up to the end of 2014, the new Member of the Board of Management, Klaus Froehlich, was responsible for these model series. And now he will present to you our next world premiere.

Thank you very much!

Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development 

Ladies and Gentlemen –

The number “1” plays an important role at the BMW Group:

• In 2014, we were again number 1 among premium manufacturers worldwide.
• Today the new BMW 1 Series is celebrating its world premiere here in Geneva.
• And it’s also a premiere for me: This is the first time I am on stage at a motor show.

And the BMW 1 Series is exactly the right car for that.

Ten years ago, we launched the BMW 1 Series. Back then, and throughout its whole lifetime, I have had a close connection to this model range, most recently as Head of the Product Line.

The BMW 1 Series is best proof of the fact that premium also works in the compact class. The BMW 1 Series has acquired many new customers for the BMW brand. Today around 10 percent of all BMW vehicles sold are 1 Series vehicles. Since its launch in 2004, around two million customers have chosen a BMW 1 Series model. So you see, the 1 Series has long been a fully fledged member of the BMW family and makes a significant contribution to our corporate success.

On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, we have comprehensively revised it.

Some aspects are apparent at first sight:

• The new design of the front and rear make it look even sportier.
• The LED lights and the refined interior significantly enhance its high-quality look and feel.
• The engines offer state-of-the-art BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. For the first time, the range also includes 3-cylinder drives.
• By the way, our new CO2 champion at BMW is the new 116d ED. It needs only 3.4 liters per 100 kilometers and emits 89 grams of CO2 per kilometer. You already know its 3-cylinder engine from the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer.

But what matters most to me as an engineer: The new BMW 1 Series remains the only vehicle in its segment that offers a rear-wheel drive and a 50:50 weight distribution. This is what I call sheer driving pleasure.

But sheer driving pleasure is not the only key feature of the 1 Series.

As standard equipment, the new 1 Series has a SIM card permanently installed, as well as the iDrive operating system with an on-board monitor. So it is now much more connected than ever before. On top of that, it comes with the latest driver assistance systems, such as Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function and the enhanced Parking Assistant.

I am convinced that the new 1 Series will be a huge hit with customers. And that is exactly our aspiration: to offer customers sheer driving pleasure – in all vehicle classes.

Thank you very much!

Dr. Ian Robertson (HonDSc), Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW, Sales Channels BMW Group

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At BMW we’ve always been one step ahead. It’s part of our DNA to be bold and to pave new ways. It’s what makes us so successful.

We’ve pioneered new segments with vehicles such as the BMW X5, BMW i3 and i8, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, and now, here today for its world premiere – the new BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer. This is sheer driving pleasure in a completely new form!

It is the world’s first premium Multi Purpose Vehicle – the first premium seven-seater in the compact segment.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer unites the segment’s traditional attributes of roominess and flexibility with the hallmark BMW values of dynamics, elegance, premium quality and safety.

It fully meets the mobility needs of young and active families.

The Gran Tourer features:

• A sliding second row of seats with an adjustable backrest.
• A third row of seats that fold into the floor,
• And provision for up to five universal child seats.

European customers will have a choice of five turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, which offer both benchmark dynamics and efficiency. The 216d needs less than four liters of fuel per 100 km and emits just 104g CO2 per km.

And with the 220xDrive, the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer is the only car in its class to team four-wheel drive with seven-seat capacity.

It also has more safety and connectivity features than any other vehicle in the compact segment – with Head-up Display, Adaptive Cruise Control, Park Assistant, and Traffic Jam Assistant, just to name a few.

When we think about safety, it’s important that the driver is not distracted. We’ve all been there on long journeys with the kids redecorating the back seats and constantly asking “are we there yet”? That’s why, starting in Germany, the Gran Tourer will be launched with the “myKIDIO” app that keeps the family entertained with age-appropriate films, audio books etc. This will help the driver to be left in peace.

Launching in June, we are certain that this is a vehicle customers have been waiting for.

It is the perfect addition to the BMW 2 Series portfolio – which ranges from the sporty and highly emotional 2 Series Coupé to the most practical BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer.

Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG

Ladies and Gentlemen –

In 2007, I presented our Efficient Dynamics fleet to you here in Geneva.

We have accomplished a lot since then. And I deliberately say, we. I am delighted that the entire Management Board is here today. So I’d like you all to join me on stage.

This is my last appearance at a motor show.

Today, we have shown you that the BMW Group   is dynamic. It is versatile. And it shapes the future of individual mobility. All this serves one primary goal: To offer our customers sheer driving pleasure. I am convinced that this will not change in the future.

As representatives of the media, you have accompanied us – and me personally – for the past 8 ½ years. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me. I’ve also appreciated your open feedback and your critical, mostly constructive, comments.

I am sure we will see one another again at some point in the future and I look forward to it.