Karim Habib to Head Exterior Design at BMW

It was only a matter of time before we expected a talented designer to fill the position vacated by Anders Warming when he was promoted to the role of Design Director at Mini. News of that new appointment was revealed today and, as of March 2011, Karim Habib will become the new Head of Exteriors at BMW Design.

No stranger to BMW Design, Habib comes back to the Munich-based carmaker after a two year absence, during which time he worked for rival German carmaker Mercedes-Benz. While at Mercedes, the Lebanese/Canadian designer held the position of Senior Manager in charge of Advanced Design at the company's Stuttgart studio in Germany, a role he was appointed to in 2009.

"I'm really delighted about coming back to the BMW brand and being given the opportunity to help shape the future of BMW as part of an outstanding team," Habib said of his new appointment.

Having already spent the first 10 years of his career working for the BMW Group, during which time he was responsible for the current BMW 7 Series range and the BMW Concept CS, Habib is clearly ready to tackle new challenges head-on.

"Karim Habib is an excellent designer who has already made a major contribution to the BMW design with the current BMW 7 Series. I look forward to resuming our collaboration," said Director of BMW Group Design, Adrian van Hooydonk.

By Eric Gallina