BMW announces DesignWorksUSA studio and ConnectedDrive lab in Shanghai

BMW has opened both a DesignWorks studio and a ConnectedDrive lab in Shanghai, China, as a means of gathering information and insight into the Chinese market as the company looks to increase its presence in Asia. Adrian van Hooydonk, Director BMW Group Design, said, "Creating this foothold for both BMW Group Design and DesignworksUSA in Shanghai is of great importance from both strategic and creative standpoints." President of BMW Group DesignWorksUSA Laurenz Schaffer said, "Our new studio in Shanghai places DesignworksUSA at the epicenter of the most rapidly growing and influential consumer market in the world and provides an indispensable resource for shaping our global perspectives for clients." The new studio will perform functions including product, transportation, automotive, environmental and interaction design; color, material and finish design; design communication, research and strategy as well as sustainability consulting. Designers from DesignworksUSA studio in Los Angeles, Munich and Singapore will supplement a local design team.

BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo Coupe (2008) : first pictures

By Tom Richards First Official Pictures 06 August 2008 13:07 The BMW 330d Coupe has just been made redundant because Alpina, the Buchloe-based tuner, tweaker and BMW bedfellow, has released the D3 Bi-Turbo Coupe. Alpina engineers have taken BMW’s twin-turbo diesel from the 123d, slotted it into the Three Coupe, then tweaked it to produce 211bhp. The result is an engine that produces more horsepower per litre than any other BMW or Alpina road car, they say.

Crossovers fuel April sales at BMW, Mini

Sales of crossovers fueled BMW and Mini in April, with Mini posting its best U.S. sales month ever. Mini's April sales of 6,446 units were up 67.7 percent from a year ago.