Speeches Ian Robertson and Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW Group: THE NEXT 100 YEARS Press Conference in London

Dr. Ian Robertson

Good morning! I would also like to wish you a very warm welcome.

It’s great to be back home again in the UK. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be here on behalf of the BMW Group for our centenary.

I like to say that the BMW Group is 100 years “young” – this is because the company has always “looked ahead” – and that’s why the focus of our centenary is on “The Next 100 Years”.

The UK plays an important role for the BMW Group – it is our fourth largest single market. Of course, its importance goes far beyond sales - it is the only place in the world where all three of our premium brands have a manufacturing presence. And that, is something very special.

The BMW Group has invested close to £2 billion in the UK since the year 2000 and now has state-of-the art production facilities in Oxford, Swindon, Hams Hall and Goodwood. We source £1.2 billion worth of goods and services from UK suppliers annually. Directly and indirectly, the BMW Group supports nearly 50,000 UK jobs.

We are proud to be part of the very fabric of British society, and to be involved in many important events and initiatives in the UK:

• The London Symphony Orchestra “Open Air Classics” in Trafalgar Square
  this year in May – this is the fifth year of our partnership with the LSO
• Our partnership with Tate - the BMW Tate Live: Performance Room is the
  first artistic programme created purely for live web broadcast
• This year’s BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth, won by Englishman,
  Chris Wood
• And a snapshot of our award-winning BMW Group Education Programme,
  which has been running for 17 years now.

The UK is also an important test bed for us – because it is innovation friendly and open to new technologies. That’s why we conduct many pilot projects here.

For example, “retail online”. After a successful pilot, we launched online selling of the entire BMW model range in the UK last November – a world first for the BMW Group.

London is Europe’s leading megacity – the challenges for future, sustainable mobility are well understood here. One example of how we are dealing with changing urban mobility needs is our car-sharing programme “DriveNow” – launched in London in 2014 and now with around 20,000 members. 

The BMW Group has underlined its commitment to sustainable mobility with BMW i. Our BMW i vehicles are yet again a fine example of our company’s philosophy of always “looking ahead”. The BMW i3 is the leader in its segment and we want to remain at the forefront of electromobility. Sustainable, premium, individual mobility – that is our aspiration.

Looking forward – the BMW i NEXT will be our new spearhead of innovation and technology. Planned for 2021, it will offer: Autonomous driving, digital connectivity, intelligent lightweight design, a totally new interior – and ultimately – it will bring the next generation of electro-mobility to the road.

For the past century, our philosophy has been “the future belongs to those bold enough to shape it”. Right now, we are on the threshold of a very exciting new era. New technologies are creating opportunities for individual mobility, which previously didn’t exist.

BMW has a long-proven ability to create future solutions based upon cutting-edge technology and customer benefits. Some examples are: The first digital engine electronics; ConnectedDrive; BMW i - including use of carbon fibre; and most recently, gesture control and remote control parking in the new BMW 7 Series.

As part of our centenary activities in Munich and Beijing, we presented the BMW VISION NEXT 100.

Everyone knows that BMW stands for “the Ultimate Driving Machine” – we’ve taken it one step further. With the support of permanent connectivity, digital intelligence and state-of-the-art technology, the person at the wheel will become “the Ultimate Driver”.

Ease and Boost are two different modes, which drivers can choose from. In “Ease” mode we offer the driver a place of retreat, with autonomous driving and the ability to use time productively through innovative connectivity. “Boost” mode is for those moments when the driver wants that typical BMW driving experience.

All in all, our goal was to preserve BMW’s DNA – the close emotional attachment between driver and the car – because that’s what BMW is all about - and will always be about.

I’d like to just briefly mention some other important features of the Vision Vehicle. There’s the fascinating “Alive Geometry” which allows for a “shape-shifting” exterior and augmented reality dashboards – creating a more intuitive form of communication between driver and machine.

And we’ve taken a big step forward with the driver interface – the entire windscreen serves as a giant display, directly in front of the driver.

The “Vision” car illustrates how the digital and analogue worlds will be working together to create a seamless experience.

For us at the BMW Group, it’s all about giving customers a unique mobility experience – about combining passion with innovation.

This passion has driven the company forward to today’s milestone and will continue to be the BMW Group’s greatest strength going forward.

We are intent on shaping the future of premium, individual mobility.

Our milestone of 100 Years will inspire us to do better, to go further and to aspire even higher, with our focus firmly on the "Next 100 Years".

Thank you very much!

Peter Schwarzenbauer

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very warm welcome to London!

This is a very special day for the BMW Group. And of course - it’s a real highlight for our two British brands. Today, we’ll be showing you two new visions: One designed for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and one for MINI. London is the perfect place to present these two British icons.

In the last 100 years, the BMW Group has gone through many different stages. All of them were marked by our flexibility and the strength of our innovation. From our origins as an aero-engine maker, to motorcycle producer and, then, car-manufacturer. Today, the BMW Group is a global, multi-brand business and leading provider of premium products and services for individual mobility.

Our brands and services capture the enthusiasm of customers around the globe. 122,000 employees make our customers’ dreams of mobility happen. We build our awe-inspiring products in 31 plants in 14 countries and distribute them in more than 140 different markets. These are products that arouse passion, make people dream and evoke sheer joy at the wheel.

More than 2.2 million customers chose one of our vehicles in 2015. And we aim to grow our sales further this year too. The signs look positive. We’ve delivered more cars and motorcycles in the first four months of this year, than ever before.

But we’re not resting on our laurels: we’ll always pursue our goal of inspiring people on the move.

The future of mobility couldn’t be more exciting!

The world changes in ever-shorter time-phases. Digitalization, in particular, has more and more impact on virtually all areas of our daily lives. And it will revolutionize the auto-sector. We’re convinced that our industry will be more transformed in the next decade, than in the previous 30 (or even 100) years.

And we will be right up there in shaping this transformation - in shaping tomorrow’s premium mobility.

The name of the game is to integrate new technologies into our products and make the vehicle a firm feature of the digital world. Key enablers in the future will be the capacity for autonomous driving and the deployment of Artificial Intelligence. Technology will start learning from human beings – and engineer tailor-made solutions for daily life.

But we’ll also develop entirely new services and applications for our customers. We’ve set clear signals for this in the past few years:

• Look at our car-sharing services, DriveNow and ReachNow
• or digital apps like ChargeNow and ParkNow
• Our new mobility app BMW Connected
• And our completely new field of energy services

So, you can see: We’re not just talking change. The BMW Group is already right in the middle of this great disruption. And we’ll keep on leading the way in this digital era. Our vision is of seamless, on-demand, sustainable mobility. And everything we do, is geared to meeting the individual needs of each and every single customer.

But how are we going to realize this vision in tomorrow’s car?  The BMW VISION NEXT 100 is a truly fascinating vision of “sheer driving pleasure.” So, how does the owner of a Rolls-Royce or a fan of MINI imagine their dream car in, say, ten, 15 years time?

To find an answer, one must of course reflect upon the rich historical tradition of these brands. A great deal of the success of MINI and Rolls-Royce rests on the strength of their brand values. We’ll craft the future on this fundament of past and present.

Experts predict that by 2050, more than 75 per cent of people in Europe and up to 90 per cent in the USA will live in cities. This will coincide with the need for greater individuality. MINI can perfectly play to its strengths in this setting.

MINI’s motto is: “Focus on the essentials – maximize the experience.” And that has always given expression to a very special feel for life. Through its unconventional approach to life, MINI represents Zeitgeist like no other car. And because of its size, MINI is always the perfect urban companion.

But, then, how can we transfer the brand heritage, its flexibility and individuality, into the future?

With the new motto, “Every MINI is my MINI,” we will:

• Solve the conflict between individuality and sharing,
• create an entirely new bond between driver and digital intelligence,
• and show how to individualize one’s MINI in the digital age

The ideas in the MINI VISION NEXT 100 will astound you.

Let me just say: The fundamental idea of Sir Alec Issigonis about “creative use of space” will continue to play a key role in the future.

The Rolls-Royce focus on the future is quite different.

No other car brand in the world has stood so consistently for the pinnacle of luxury and distinction. Rolls-Royce, made in Goodwood, is the jewel in the crown of British manufacturing.

Our firm belief is: the super-luxury-segment has a future.

The question then is: how can this unique character, this brand promise, be taken into the future? What will mobile luxury mean in the years to come? What will distinguish it? How will driving in a Rolls-Royce keep its unique quality in the decades ahead?

You’ll find the answers to these questions in the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100.

It brings together the best of a variety of worlds:

• luxury and unique craftsmanship by ultra-skilled hands
• the most advanced technology in the ultimate luxury setting
• and the perfect state of autonomous driving

We stay loyal to the motto of Sir Henry Royce, “Take the best that exists and make it better.”

So tomorrow’s Rolls-Royce will be a luxury retreat from hectic everyday living. It’s the ultimate companion, the perfect chauffeur and discreet butler, constantly on hand for help and advice.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We believe, if you want to be part of the future you have to create it. And we will embrace and shape the future of mobility with Rolls-Royce and MINI.

We have the know-how, the will and the resources to realize unique concepts of mobility for our customers.

And now - let’s together look forward to the future with Rolls-Royce and MINI!