BMW and Local Motors announce contest winners

BMW and Local Motors have announced the winning ideas in the Urban Driving Experience Challenge after phase one of the contest closed on 16 October.

Anthony Franze of Australia won first prize and a cash award of $7,500 with his design for a premium car sharing service called ‘BMW Reward Me.' He also earned himself a trip to Munich, Germany, to meet with the head of BMW's Group Research and Technology, Dr. Christoph Grote.

In second place came Kevin Lo of the United States with his design for ‘BMW Vision BreatheFree', a vehicle that cleans the air around it. The final cash prize position went to Guillaume Coolen of Japan for his interactive vision system called ‘BMW Eye-3'.

The three fought off competition from over 400 designs and 3,500 storyboard sketches. The contest asked designers to create the premium vehicle features and functions that will shape the urban driving experience in 2025 and beyond.

Phase two of the contest will open next week, so visit the official website for details on how to submit entries.

By Rufus Thompson