Govor Haralda Krügerja na Mednarodnem avtomobilskem salonu 2015 v Frankfurtu

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

Good morning!

It is a special moment for me, to be standing here in front of you. At this year’s IAA, we will all experience what great potential exists in our industry. Welcome to the BMW Group! Our focus is to anticipate and exceed the desires of our discerning customers. That is how we define premium. Together, my colleagues from the Board of Management and I want to show you the innovations that are driving our industry.

Since the last IAA motor show, we have launched more than 30 new models. And that includes unique innovations like our BMW i8 super sports car with plug-in hybrid – which was awarded the “World Green Car” as well as the “Sports Car of the Year”. BMW i is already available in 36 countries.

In the US, one in six electric cars is a BMW i3, and here in Germany, one in every four. And in China, the BMW i3 as both BEV and REX, has now been listed in the “5th Catalogue of New Energy Vehicles Exempted from Purchase Tax”. This means that customers who buy the BMW i3 from now up to the end of 2017 will enjoy an exemption from purchase tax.

We firmly believe that: Electric drivetrains are part of our industry’s future – battery-powered in urban settings and fuel cell for long distances. Everyone can experience electric driving pleasure with the i3 with DriveNow in Germany, the UK and Denmark. There are now 400 i3s on the roads in Copenhagen. That is the largest electric car-sharing fleet in any city in the world. This is our approach - to make easy access to electro-mobility possible for everyone.

Here on the stage you see that: The BMW Group has truly unique premium brands. And the company has a broader, stronger positioning than ever before.

• MINI has the youngest line-up in its history and is heading for a new sales record.
• BMW Motorrad remains on a successful course. BMW also expects to reach a new all-time high this year. Our sporty M models are also more popular than ever.
• “In the super-luxury segment, Rolls-Royce combines heritage with highly contemporary luxury. This is demonstrated in the latest Bespoke collection by the Wraith Inspired by Film. In a few minutes, on the  Rolls-Royce stand, we will present the most sensual Rolls-Royce ever made – the world premiere of the new Rolls-Royce “Dawn” Drophead Coupe.  Later, this decade, we will introduce a further Rolls-Royce - an all-terrain vehicle which we refer to internally as “Project Cullinan”.

With its three strong brands, the BMW Group continues to evolve more and more from a premium car company to a provider of premium mobility and premium services.

Digitalization has long been an integral part of our business and will continue to revolutionize it. With ConnectedDrive, our customers enjoy the highest level of connectivity.

We are expanding our offering in new areas of business and creating an even more emotional experience for our customers. That is what this year’s new models are all about.

On that note, please welcome our first world premiere!

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

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,

Our BMW X1 is a trendsetter. It established the compact SAV segment.

Today it is an integral member of the X family. More than 730,000 units of the first generation were delivered to customers. Today, one in three X models sold is an X1. Its design and driving characteristics leave no doubt that our new BMW X1 is a true member of our X family.

I am sure that its innovative features – such as Head-up Display, Dynamic Damper Control, and the Driving Assistant Plus system, will appeal to customers. You can choose between a model with BMW xDrive or, for the first time, front-wheel drive. And for everyday driving, the new X1 offers a range of benefits:

With significantly more interior space and a larger luggage area with a volume of more than 500 litres.

Let’s talk about EfficientDynamics:

With the latest generation of three and four-cylinder engines, the new X1 sets the benchmark for efficiency in its segment.

Fuel consumption and emissions are up to 17 per cent lower than in the previous model. In a nutshell, the new BMW X1 has everything it takes to maintain leadership in its segment. Now let’s move on to our next new model.

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

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The heart of the BMW brand! This car founded the modern sports-sedan segment forty years ago – and has been the consistent leader over six generations.

In four decades, we have delivered more than 14 million 3 Series to customers – making it the top-selling BMW ever.

It illustrates the success of the brand like no other car. And, when it comes to the current model, I can promise you: The original is better than ever. This BMW 3 Series is sportier, more efficient, with even more presence than its predecessor.

Engines range from our top-of-the-line 340i with an output of 240 kW – here next to me with Sport Line – to our EfficientDynamics champion, the BMW 320d, now for the first time with less than 100g CO2 per km. That means only 3.8 litres per 100 km. Maximum performance combined with efficiency – that has long been the motto for our involvement in motorsports.

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

The BMW M6 Competition Edition raises the levels of power, torque and individualization of this high-performance Coupé. And our new BMW M6 GT3 spearheads the range of cars available from BMW Motorsport to regular customers. It succeeds the popular, and successful Z4 GT3.

The amazing thing is that both these cars have the same engine. It’s been transferred from the production model, the BMW M6 Coupé, with only minor modifications for motor racing. Now that shows you how good BMW production cars are.

Over the weekend, BMW won both of the DTM races – and we took the top four spots on both days. That is a great achievement – and I’m delighted that DTM driver Martin Tomczyk could join us today.

Martin, you were involved in the development process of the GT3 from the beginning and you and your colleagues have been recently testing it in Europe. Tell us a bit about the car.

Talk with Martin Tomczyk

[…]

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

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very proud to present our flagship – the all-new BMW 7 Series!
It is the pinnacle of what BMW can do in terms of luxury, comfort and technology. Each generation has stood for pioneering technical innovations.

And now, with the sixth generation, we’ve raised the bar even higher, with 13 world firsts: The use of carbon fibre in the “Carbon Core”, reducing the weight of the car by 130 kg; Laser lights, doubling the range of headlight beam from 300 to 600 metres, and Gesture Control. It can also run semi-autonomously with speeds up to 210 km per hour.  And this BMW is so intelligent, it can even park itself.

Remote Control Parking is one of the most unique features of the BMW 7 Series. It allows owners to maneuver the car in or out of forward-parking spaces or garages, without anyone at the wheel. The focus here is on comfort – let your car do the parking. Very, very easy to operate using the Display Key, and very convenient.

As you can see, we fulfil the diverse wishes of our customers worldwide – be it long wheelbase or more sporty, with a range of benchmark diesel and petrol engines. The 7 Series has been growing in stature generation by generation and this car is no exception. It sends a clear message about where we are going – how we are looking ahead to the future and investing strongly to remain at the forefront of premium, individual mobility.

And now, let’s look just a little further into the future.

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

We believe, the new 7 Series is the best, most innovative car in the world.

And we always knew: We also want to offer this car as a plug-in hybrid.
The 740e has a fuel consumption of 2.1 litres and CO2-emissions of 49 grams per kilometre in the European test cycle. This is the benchmark for a luxury sedan of this size.

Here in front of you, our BMW eDrive fleet cars: The BMW 7 Series, 3 Series and 2 Series as plug-in hybrid versions. This is the world premiere for all of them. All of these models will be on the market in 2016. And of course the BMW X5 xDrive40e will be launched soon too.

That makes us the first and only car company to offer eDrive in all relevant vehicle classes. This is just one example of how we are shaping the future.

The BMW Group will reach a new milestone on the seventh of March next year, and turn 100. As I’ve experienced over the past twenty-three years at this company, I can promise you that: Our eyes and our focus will always be on the road ahead.

So there is no question about it – this historic milestone will inspire us to: continue to strengthen our premium brands, make sheer driving pleasure even safer and even more exciting for all and, offer our customers highly-automated driving.

Because standing still isn’t in our DNA. We aim to lead the way – in many different areas. Mobility is, and always will be, our passion. And we have big plans for the future. We aim to continue inspiring our customers – and pave the way for the BMW Group into the 22nd century.

Thank you. I wish everyone a very successful IAA.