An investment in the future: the Aerodynamic Test Centre.

No other car maker is equally committed as the BMW Group to making lasting and substantial investments in the enhanced efficiency of new models. Edifice the new Aerodynamic Examination Centre, the BMW Group now has even greater competence and qualifications than before in the expanse of innovative technologies contributing in the medium and long term to the further comeback of all BMW and MINI models in their fundamental strengths and benefits.

For optimisation of the machine's aerodynamic qualities improves both its performance and efficiency, equally well as the driving stability offered by the machine on the road. Precisely this is why optimum aerodynamics is already a fundamental factor today in the development of new models.

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Building the ATC, the BMW Group is giving even greater emphasis to the ongoing enhancement of aerodynamics as an essential cornerstone of the EfficientDynamics philosophy. Optimised aerodynamics take a direct impact on the motorcar's fuel economy and emission management, a reduction of air drag past x per cent offer the customer a reduction in fuel consumption on the road by more than 2.v per cent – and even such an at showtime sight "insignificant" improvement is of peachy importance to the BMW Group as part of an overall package for the enhancement of efficiency.

With BMW Group cars already offer excellent aerodynamic qualities today, further improvement and, indeed, optimisation, calls for a substantial investment. So making such an investment in the ATC, the BMW Group clearly expresses its intention to utilize all facilities also in future in guild to improve both fuel economy and emission direction to an even higher standard.

The ATC offers new options and potentials in analysing the aerodynamic qualities of a motorcar – and at the same time flexible processes practical at the ATC as well as its location in the firsthand vicinity of the BMW Grouping's Research and Innovation Middle (FIZ) optimises the integration of all activities in the overall procedure of vehicle development. In time to come, therefore, the BMW Grouping's aerodynamic specialists will be working side by side door and mitt-in-manus with BMW'southward designers, constructors, engine specialists and other experts.

Over and above such enhanced integration into the development process, the ATC has facilities and capabilities unique the earth over in determining aero-dynamic features and qualities in a truly realistic procedure. One selection, for example, is to analyse new models at a very early stage of development in a wide range of different situations with all exam scenarios post-obit real-life driving conditions. This ways non simply the consideration of all kinds of speed ranges, only also different driving situations such as driving in a bend, taking the actual movement of the body into account.

A further betoken is that the ATC is now able for the beginning time to render and analyse the interaction of a car with other vehicles, for example when overtaking, thus offering all the same another new benefit in the development of production cars.
So far such tests could but exist conducted on the test track, with cars about completely developed in every respect. Now the cognition gained in this procedure tin can exist fed back into the development process much earlier, serving to effectively optimise a new model right from the start.

Most advanced current of air tunnel technology for realistic measurements.
The BMW Grouping'southward new Aerodynamic Test Middle is the world's most modern facility of its kind throughout the entire automotive industry. The ATC comprises a wind tunnel serving to analyse vehicles in their original size. To reproduce the near of import effects and phenomena when driving on the road, the road surface is modelled through a simulation procedure using no less than 5 rolling tracks.

A second wind tunnel allows the engineer to move the models tested from one position to the other past means of a control system operating in all directions to a higher place the world'due south largest rolling road in a wind tunnel. This serves to analyse vehicle flow conditions nether all kinds of circumstances, applying a concept already used for a number of years in motorsport. At present, therefore, aerodynamics and driving dynamics may interact and exist combined with one some other also in the evolution of production cars.

The number of scenarios bachelor also every bit the precision of the examination processes applied at the ATC offer a standard quite unique for a facility of this kind. Both current of air tunnels, to mention just i example, are able to generate an air flow velocity of up to 300 km/h or 186 mph, for the first time providing exactly the right, right physical conditions for the measurement of true-to-scale models.

In all, the BMW Group has invested some Euro 170 million in the construction of the Aerodynamic Test Heart and the facilities/equipment used. Within nearly three years, the five-flooring building synthetic on a piece of land measuring approximately 25,000 square metres or 6.2 acres has been completed in the immediate vicinity of the Munich FIZ Inquiry and Innovation Middle and boasts architecture quite unique at very first sight, providing a clear hint from the beginning that the technology used within is very special indeed.

One example of this distinctive await and compages is the round contour of the fan for the horizontally arranged air catamenia ring in the main wind tunnel clearly recognisable on the southern side of the building. The vertical air flow ring for the model wind tunnel, in turn, likewise stands out clearly in the eye of the ATC.

BMW's EfficientDynamics specialists focusing in the ATC specifically on aerodynamics used to work at no less than 5 different locations before moving into the new Exam Centre, travelling up to 20 kilometres in society to work together in the wind tunnel. Now, past putting all these specialists together in 1 building, the BMW Group ensures direct contact with extremely small distances between the various specialists and has established new processes for highly efficient interaction and cooperation. In all, some 500 specialists in BMW EfficientDynamics will exist working together in the new edifice.

Even more than efficient: new generation of direct-half-dozen ability units with turbocharger technology.
Together with the new ATC, BMW is proudly presenting the latest results in the development of especially powerful and, at the aforementioned time, impressively economical straight-six power units. Indeed, these new engines, whether running on gasoline or diesel fuel, offer a significantly better rest of fuel economic system and superior performance than always before – quite simply, considering both engines use special technologies developed past BMW to raise both efficiency and dynamic performance. Both power units therefore offer the same kind of momentum and superiority in the evolution of ability otherwise provided just by a much larger eight-cylinder, while at the same time they are naturally much lighter and offer substantially meliorate fuel economy and emission management.

BMW'south new TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine developing 225 kW/306 hp for the first time combines turbocharging, direct fuel injection and fully variable valve management in one drive unit. This combination of a twin-scroll turbocharger with High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC exclusive to BMW gives the new engine fully suited for the world market not simply unusually spontaneous and directly behaviour, but besides uncommonly low fuel consumption and emission ratings.

This 3.0-litre 6-cylinder develops its maximum torque of 400 Newton-metres or 295 lb-ft at an engine speed of just one,200 rpm and and then maintains this superior torque level all the mode to 5,000 rpm. In comparison with the direct-vi featuring Twin Turbo engineering science and High Precision Injection already featured in several model series, the engine at the same time offers a farther reduction of fuel consumption by up to 9 per cent.

Introducing an additional elevation version of the six-cylinder diesel already featured in the BMW 730d and the BMW 330d, BMW again proves the outstanding potential this engine technology has to offer. Again, the new generation of BMW's straight-six diesel, combining multi-stage turbocharging with common-rail direct fuel injection, offers fascinatingly dynamic power and performance with maximum efficiency. And once more in the spirit of BMW EfficientDynamics, numerous innovations on the all-aluminium engine as such, the ii turbochargers and the injection system ensure a significant increase in ability equally well as a further reduction of fuel consumption and emissions. Not only the turbocharger system is even more efficient than before, but also the supply of fuel through piezo-injectors operating at an injection pressure of up to two,000 bar.

The new iii.0-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo diesel delivers maximum output of 225 kW/306 hp at an engine speed of 4,400 rpm, with peak torque of 600 Newton-metres/442 lb-ft at just i,500 rpm. These figures alone let the new engine to take over the leading position from its own predecessor as the almost sporting and dynamic six-cylinder diesel fuel in the world, at the aforementioned time offer some 4 per cent lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
BMW'southward new viii-speed automatic transmission: the intelligent mode to more than gears, greater efficiency and enhanced driving dynamics.
BMW'south new 8-speed automatic transmission is all the same another example of how outstanding engineering qualities are able to offer a meaning improvement in driving pleasure and, at the same fourth dimension, far greater efficiency than ever earlier.
This innovative ability transmission get-go introduced in the twelve-cylinder BMW 760i and BMW 760Li excels in particular through its exceptional efficiency and wide range of qualities. At the same time, through its special characteristics, the new 8-speed transmission raises both the motoring comfort and the dynamic operation of the corresponding model to an even higher standard.

All the same a further important point is that this meaning progress over BMW's six-speed automated transmissions already lauded the world over for their superior gearshift dynamics and efficiency has been achieved in a particularly intelligent manner. The ii additional gears give the entire transmission an even broader range of increments and, at the same time, keep the change in engine speed when shifting from one gear to the other even smaller than earlier. Thanks to the innovative configuration of the gearsets, the number of additional components required and, accordingly, the weight of the new eight-speed automatic transmisson, has been reduced to a minimum.

Converter sideslip limited to the lowest range of engine speeds, a high degree of inner efficiency, low frictional losses with only two clutches open at a time, the longer manual ratio of the higher gears, and the improved suppression of vibrations enabling the driver to use the car much more than at depression speeds, help to reduce fuel consumption versus the one-time 6-speed automated transmission by approximately 6 per cent.
A further important point is that the eight-speed automated transmission enhances the dynamic qualities of the engine by opening and endmost simply 1 clutch at a fourth dimension in nearly all gearshifts, even when shifting downwards by more than than 1 gear. This offers an important benefit and then far provided only by the double-clutch gearbox and combined in this case with all the benefits of an automatic manual relevant to the client, such equally dynamic acceleration from low engine speeds.

The new eight-speed automatic transmission is as well a particularly future-oriented solution for the transmission of power in a premium auto. It may be combined with all kinds of engines varying in their design and performance, being used not only in cars with rear-wheel drive, but also in all-wheel-bulldoze models. And at the same fourth dimension the 8-speed automatic manual besides has all the qualities to class a perfect combination with hybrid drive. This alone ensures a unique blend of efficiency and dynamism on a make-new level, proving that this concept perfectly suited for the future will be heading for success afterwards reaching product level in the course of 2009.

The new options offered by BMW's Aerodynamic Test Centre, together with current and futurity innovations in drivetrain applied science, volition serve on many occasions to solve the conflict of interests betwixt growing dynamics and optimised economy in all segments of the market. As a result, therefore, the BMW Grouping has an fifty-fifty improve position than e'er before in developing cars for the future which, through their design and driving qualities, will offering a fascinating driving feel combined with equally supreme fuel economic system and emission management.

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