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DESIGN DNA OF
BMW
ABSTRACT: BMW has a whole host of iconic style elements were designers maintain and develop. BMW has
shown repeatedly that its teams are willing to challenge even the most deeply entrenched beliefs and industry
practices in their unique inspirational design and to explore new and perhaps highly unconventional answers.
INTRODUCTION:
A characteristic silhouette and proportions have
always been a design feature of a BMW, both when
drawing the car and in real life. Style-defining features
for a BMW are short overhangs, a long hood and a
recessed greenhouse. “The vehicle was very much
inspired by the brand history and brought the classic
design elements into the modern day. From the
headlights, which are a nod back to motor racing
history, through the rims with the reference of their
model.
“BMW A HISTROY OF INVENTION”:
let me also dispel the myth that championing
innovation is something fairly new for BMW. It isn’t.
BMW has been at the forefront of invention since it was
founded in 1916 and has always believed in
implementing leading-edge technology to enhance the
driving experience for its customers. For example, the
company was one of the pioneers of electric vehicle
development. In 1972, nearly 30 years before Tesla
was founded, BMW first realised the dream of
electrification when it introduced its 1602e model. In
being one of the first car manufacturers to develop a
fully functioning electric vehicle, BMW has forged a
reputation in the automotive industry for harnessing
new trends – the second lens of innovation.
CAR DESIGN: THE KEY STEPS:
From the initial idea, through the first car sketch
design to the final model, there is a clearly
choreographed process at BMW. It always starts with
a workshop in which the character of the vehicle is
defined. The car designers then receive a brief setting
out the aesthetic, technological and aerodynamic
attributes – and they get to work on a wide variety of
sketches and designs.
. This model will be accompanied by a second draft, a
challenger their expert reveals. The goal? To explore
the limits even more “BMW vehicles have always
featured lots of characteristic stylistic elements and we
aim, with due care, to develop them further As with the
BMW 4 Series, want to provide the state of the art in
both technology and design. It’s part of the job for an
automobile designer to design vehicles with a long-
term impact. Yet despite this, each and every vehicle
should be recognizable as a BMW from the very first
glance.” And that’s how it works.
CAR DESIGN: “CHARACTERISTICS DESIGN AND
FEATURES ”:
“BMW has a whole host of iconic style elements
that we as car designers maintain and develop. The
most important icon is the BMW grille – the famous
kidney grille – the main distinguishing feature of every
BMW. There have only been two exceptions in the
whole history of the brand: the BMW 700 and the
Isetta. A look back at BMW history and the evolution of
the grille shows just how much the new BMW 4 Series
Coupé follows the legendary sports car tradition of the
brand. Outstanding classics like the BMW 328 Coupé
from the 1930s and the BMW 3.0 CS from the 1970s
are part of BMW’s fascinating coupé history, a history
characterized by prestige, pure driving pleasure and
success on the racetrack that inspired me. On the
BMW 3.0 CS, the front part of the car has a similar
arrangement, with a vertical kidney grille, although a
bit narrower in this case. It’s that history that we’ve re-
interpreted,” says Weil, before adding: “Of course,
going forward too, every BMW will still have its own
kidney grille design individually tailored to the
character of the vehicle”. “Ideas are collected from
around the world, and the forge of creativity that is
Design works, with its design studios in Los Angeles
and Shanghai, also plays its part,” reveals Weil. Then,
out of all the ideas, a guiding light emerges. A specific
vision.

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.
Iconic vehicles have non-negotiable design
factors. Yet constantly reinterpreting these key
features is an exciting task for car designers and their
teams .This design DNA also includes the L-shaped
taillights, the swage line, the shark fin antenna and the
twin circular headlights. First featuring in 1968 in the
BMW 2800 CS, they became the hallmark of sporty
vehicles. A tradition that the new BMW 4 Series is
proud to continue.
Another of the striking elements in the design of a
BMW is the Hofmeister kink, named after a long-
standing head of body development at BMW, Wilhelm
Hofmeister. The Hofmeister kink was first introduced
in the luxury class BMW 3200 CS “Bertone” and the
BMW new mid-range “New Class” (from the 1500 and
the 115), which were first presented at the 1961
International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany.
This double kink on the C-pillar was actually included
not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for structural
reasons. It provided increased stability in this area of
the bodywork. In the new BMW 4 Series, this feature
is even more flowing and sporty.
The electric vehicles, the BMW i4 and the BMW i4
M50, also adhere to this design language. They are
recognizable as electric models, yet their design is not
entirely set apart. “The design of the BMW i4 has a
much smoother surface, but you can see that this is
an electric model from the outside, through the blue i
applications and the closed kidney grille. We wanted
to retain the elegant, elongated proportions that make
up a BMW in our electric vehicles. For me, the
highlight is the long hood. If you look out over the hood
from the inside, you can still see it. When you’re on a
grand avenue and you see trees reflected on it, or
reflections wander across as you drive somewhere,
it’s quite fascinating”.
CAR DESIGN: PROPORTIONS:
A characteristic silhouette and proportions have
always been a design feature of a BMW, both when
drawing the car and in real life. Style-defining features
for a BMW are short overhangs, a long hood and a
recessed greenhouse. The greenhouse – sometimes
known as the glasshouse – is the part of the vehicle
consisting of the windshield, the rear and side
windows, the pillars between them and the roof. The
vehicle should sit well on the road, including when
seen from the rear. It must be dynamic even when
stationary.
CAR DESIGN: LINES, LIGHT AND CONTOURS:
For the BMW design team, automotive design is
about creating an exciting, dynamic movement out of
the interplay of light and shadow. For Christopher
Weil, the interplay of light with the body of the vehicle
is like poetry. “In an illuminated tunnel, in particular,
you can see how the highlights flow perfectly. The aim
of BMW design is to consciously shape a vehicle in
such a way that this interplay creates an impact and
dynamism. In the new BMW 4 Series, the musculature
of the bodywork above the front and rear wheels
provides highly sensual surfaces. The focal point on
the vehicle is optically lowered by lowering the edge
of the side panel, the almost Z-shaped curve creating
a dynamic play of light.”
CAR DESIGN STEADY TO MASS PRODUCTION:
There are three different types of study at BMW.
Hommage Cars are vehicles that reference back to
history, grab hold of it, and give it a modern
interpretation. With a Vision Vehicle we can look
really far into the future. Concept Cars serve as a
tangible look ahead to a production vehicle. We play
around with different design themes, initially in
concept car sketches, which can later be found on
the road in one implementation or another – at the
end of the day, there are certain rules and
requirements for a production model. With all studies
and concepts, however, you have a freer hand in the
drafts. Ultimately however, in BMW design, when
you put all the details and surfaces together, you
must get a coherent overall picture. And the style
paths taken are then adopted from the concept car
as a design element in the production vehicle. And
it’s something that Christopher Weil is particularly
proud of with the BMW 4 Series. “The vertical kidney
grille was a key theme from the outset.

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The fact that we’ve been able to take this iconic
design feature all the way from the concept car
design to the streets is a real statement. As is the
whole way the BMW 4 Series looks!”
CONCLUSION:
“BMW” focus on customers and meet their needs
which differ across the world. They combine
pioneering technologies, emotional products and
personalized customer support to create a unique
overall experience.BMW models comes in numbered
series ranging from 1 to 8. Larger odd-numbered
series mean a bigger car. Even-numbered series
tend to be body style variants of the previous series.
REFERENCE:
[1]. Information on BMW design .Christoper
wheil interior and exterior design in BMW.
[2].Stjepan Galamboš, Jovan Dorić “ Design And
Analysis of A Car Body Using CFD Software”,
Research Gate Publication, pp.- 693-696,
Serbia, May 2015.
[3] .DarkoDamjanović, DražanKozak,
MarijaŽivić, ŽeljkoIvandić, TomislavBaškarić
”CFD of a Concept Car in order to improve its
Aerodynamics” Járműipariinnováció
Publication, pp.- 108-115, Croatia, Jan 2011.
[4] . Automotive steels for safe and lightweight
cars. .
[5]. 10 tekhnologiy avtomobiley budushchego
[10 Future Car Technologies]. Retrieved from
http://www.lookatme.ru/mag/live/
futureresearch/197165-future-car-
technologies [in Russian].
RESEARCH ANALYSER
G.SELVADAVIDRAJ
AUTOMATIVE BODY DESIGNING STUDENT
3rd
year mechanical engineering student