BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA POSITIONS ITSELF AS A TRENDSETTER IN AIRCRAFT DESIGN

BMW Group DesignworksUSA positions itself as a trendsetter in aircraft design.
Having created two award-winning design solutions for business jets, the global
design consultancy now convinces with a further trendsetting design for
Embraer. The Brazilian manufacturer is one of the world's largest aircraft
companies.

Munich. At this year's international aircraft show held in Atlanta by the
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) from September 25th - 27th, BMW
Group DesignworksUSA caused quite a stir with their groundbreaking design of a
medium-range aircraft built by the Brazilian company Embraer. The innovative
styling is the follow-up to the consultancy's two outstanding and successful
design solutions created for the business jets Phenom 100 and 300 produced by
Embraer. The awards given for these designs included the renowned iF Product
Design Award 2007. Embraer is one of the world's largest aircraft builders.
"It was our desire to create the same trendsetting and sophisticated design as
for the Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft," explained Verena Kloos, President of BMW
Group DesignworksUSA. In addition to outstanding aesthetics, the concept was to
provide a degree of comfort unparalleled in this segment and to exceed the
expectations of the client and the end-consumer alike. "Our team carried out an
in-depth investigation into modern living interiors and exclusive hospitality
concepts in order to establish a genuinely new standard for the medium-range
aircraft segment."

Innovative design concept: "Intelligent Luxury".
"Intelligent Luxury" is the name of the concept the team at BMW Group
DesignworksUSA implemented for Phenom business jets. With this new design the
consultancy went a step further and upgraded the standard for a medium-range
aircraft built to carry passengers in comfort from the West Coast to the East
Coast of North America. When developing this innovative styling, the designers
stringently questioned the traditional conception of luxury. The consultancy
realized that parameters associated with it in the past, such as opulence,
hierarchy and symbolism, were no longer significant in a world that has become
very complex. The holistic design strategy regards the interior of an aircraft
as a space in which to relax and spend personal time freely. Therefore, new
values such as connectivity, integrity and authenticity are conveyed.

Following the "Intelligent Luxury" strategy, various teams at BMW Group
DesignworksUSA have created a lounge-like atmosphere for the interior of the
medium-range aircraft, where generously sized windows convey a feeling of open
space inside the cabin, in which passengers can move around in comfort standing
upright. Moreover, completely newly designed seats provide an air of lightness
and sensuality, rising above conventional lounge seats by featuring an elegant
and comfortable body-contour design. Further innovations are the flexible,
swing-out tables and the attractive entertainment area with a three-seat divan.

Storage spaces are discreetly concealed behind high-quality panels; these
accentuating the distinctive, both stylishly puristic and becalming character
of the overall design. Cabin and cockpit have been designed to form one single
unit. The cockpit is equipped with aesthetic and concise state-of-the-art
aviation technology. Large-size displays featuring advanced graphics are
located in the center.

"The final design immediately conveys a feeling of unparalleled comfort and
convinces through simplicity and sensual elegance," says Gerhard Steinle,
Director of Transportation Design at BMW Group DesignworksUSA. "It surprises
with intelligent design solutions and impresses with a discerning eye for
detail."
The range of colours and materials, which can indeed be associated with premium
cars of the BMW Group, offers the client a varied choice of options. Here we
also find innovative solutions that render the production process more
efficient - a further positive asset.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA: Uncompromisingly sophisticated design.
Based in Los Angeles with studios in Munich and Singapore, BMW Group
DesignworksUSA operates as a subsidiary of the BMW Group with more than 35
years of cross industry expertise in design strategy, design research, brand
communication, colors, materials, and finish, product development, 3D modelling
and engineering. In addition to the BMW Group in the automotive field, the
consultancy's clients include a number of leading companies in the sectors
transportation, consumer electronics, IT, medical as well as the consumer
products and lifestyle industry.
For questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Dirk Arnold, Product Communication BMW Cars
Tel: +49 89 382 12325, Fax: +49 89 382 20626

Kristina Weith, Product Communications, Design and Concept Cars
Tel: +49 89 382 26707, Fax: +49 89 382 20626

Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-mail: presse@bmw.de

BMW Group DesignworksUSA's website: www.designworksusa.com.com