Red dot award for the "Design Team of the Year" 2007 goes to the BMW Group.

BMW, MINI and BMW Group DesignworksUSA seize 8 prizes for outstanding product design.

This year, at the presentation of the 2007 red dot awards for outstanding product design, the focus was not only on the especially appealing vehicles produced by the BMW Group, but also on their designers. The BMW Group will be honoured this year with the title "Design Team of the Year". In presenting this award, the international jury of the competition is showing its appreciation of the consistently innovative design work produced by BMW Group Design. The internationally reknowned and coveted red dot award has been presented every year since 1955. Since 1989 experts have honoured outstanding achievements and those reaching beyond individual products in this field with the title "Design Team of the Year".

The red dot award is one of the most significant marks of approval for successful design. The prize is awarded in numerous categories, including transport, industry, architecture, leisure activities, household, office, as well as computer and entertainment electronics. In addition to the degree of innovation and formal quality, functionality of the products, their symbolic and emotional content and ecological compatibility are, among other things, taken into account. This year 2,548 products from 43 countries were nominated for the red dot award. "Both the number of products submitted and the quality standards were excellent this year," sums up Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award and president of the international design association Icsid.

Having seized five awards at once, the BMW Group is the most successful company in the automotive category. The spectrum of the winning products is also remarkable. Red dot awards went to the BMW 3 Series Coupe and the new MINI, as well as the F800 S, the G 650 Xcountry and the HP2 Megamoto. The diversity of winning products for the BMW Group this year was demonstrated by the range between the innovative Supermoto motorcycle and the BMW Cruise Bike Junior for Kids, which was produced at the studios of BMW DesignworksUSA, a BMW Group subsidiary. The staff of this largely independently operating design agency are not only occupied with designing vehicles, equipment and accessories for the BMW Group, but are also committed to a large number of well-known international companies in the fields of IT, and entertainment electronics, boat building and aircraft technology, household, lifestyle and sport. BMW Group DesignworksUSA received two further red dot awards this year in the category household and kitchen products. One of the awards went to the ecopod E1, a recycling station for beverage containers, which is produced by the American company ecopod, another going to the fully automatic coffee percolator Talea Touch presented by the Italian company Saeco.

Motorcyclist names BMW R 1200 GS Adventure Best Adventure Bike and R 1200 RT Best Touring Bike for a second year in a row.

Once again, BMW motorcycles have earned high-fives from editors of Motorcyclist Magazine. In the publication’s September issue, the BMW R 1200 GS is named Best Adventure Bike for 2006, while the R 1200 RT captured top honors in the Touring category -- both for the second year in a row.

Since its introduction in early 2004, the versatile R 1200 GS has won consistent praise from motorcycle enthusiasts and the motorcycling press for its exceptional performance both on and off-road. In addition to winning Motorcyclist’s Adventure category last year, it was named Motorcycle of the Year by Motorcyclist editors in 2004, International Bike of the Year, and one of Cycle World’s top ten motorcycles for 2004. That same year, the GS also earned an International Design Excellence "Gold" Award by the Industrial Design Society of America. (See below for previous awards.)

According to editors of Motorcyclist, the latest GS is "more like half a jeep than a real dirt bike...it will take you to work all week, mortify sportbike poseurs in the twisty bits on Saturday, then follow an afternoon’s worth of logging roads over the river, through the woods to grandma's house (and back) on one 8.7-gallon tank of gas."

Describing their Best Touring category pick, Motorcyclist editors write, "The R1200RT inhales East Texas tedium as happily as it reels in the length of California's Coast Highway, which is why the RT waltzes off with the best touring bike trophy for the second year in a row. The most luxurious iteration of BMW's 1170cc boxer is amazingly agile, with sufficient punch to steam past processionals of rental cars and motor homes. The electrically adjustable windscreen is there when you need it and out of the way when you don't. BMW's removable luggage is the best in the business. And there are enough optional amenities -- from a heated seat to a CD-player and GPS navigation -- to make the I-40 between Albuquerque and Amarillo almost tolerable; a minor miracle all by itself."

The 2006 K 1200 R was named 2005 Motorcycle of the Year by the editors of Motorcyclist magazine; the R 1200 GS and R 1200 RT won "Best Adventure" and "Best Touring" respectively.

Not one, not two, but three BMW motorcycles have earned coveted titles from the editors of Motorcyclist magazine. In the publication's September issue, BMW Motorrad's 2006 K 1200 R was named "2005 Motorcycle of the Year" while the BMW R 1200 GS (last year's Motorcycle of the Year) clinched the "Best Adventure" category and the BMW R 1200 RT captured top honors in the "Best Touring" category. According to the magazine's editors, it was the first time three of the ten annual awards were given to one manufacturer.

Every year, Motorcyclist editors evaluate all of the newly introduced motorcycle models and select one that they believe has had the most profound impact on motorcycling. "Give BMW credit for doing what Japan wouldn't or couldn't do," said Motorcyclist editors about the K 1200 R, "bolt serious horsepower into a big, comfortable naked bike. This German translation of the naked ideal serves up more motorcycle, leaving its contemporaries looking relatively underdressed when it comes to technological accoutrements."

They pointed out, "as racing technology shrinks the modern sportbike, the BMW is unashamedly big - big enough to accommodate full-sized humans tired of being stuffed into fetal riding positions."

With 163 horsepower and pavement-scorching torque, the BMW K 1200 R is the most powerful naked bike ever to roll off a motorcycle assembly line. From its revolutionary Duolever suspension and Electronic Suspension Adjustment to its partially-integral ABS, the K 1200 R offers a potent combination of technology and muscle.

In summarizing what makes BMW's K 1200 R their pick for 2005 Motorcycle of the Year, Motorcyclist editors concluded, "After reinventing the heart and soul of its motorcycle line-up in little more than a year, BMW clearly isn't afraid of thinking outside the box. In fact, we're pretty sure it scrapped the box entirely. Here's an 82-year-old company that doesn't think like one. It's clearly going after...buyers who want everything - power, comfort, technology and attitude - in one package. No concessions. No apologies. No kidding."

Since its introduction in early 2004, the versatile R 1200 GS - winner of Motorcyclist's Adventure category - has won consistent praise from motorcycle enthusiasts and the motorcycling press for its exceptional performance both on and off-road. In addition to being named Motorcycle of the Year in 2004 by editors of Motorcyclist, International Bike of Year by industry editors, and selected as one of Cycle World's top ten motorcycles for 2004, the GS also earned an International Design Excellence "Gold" Award by the Industrial Design Society of America.

Capturing Motorcyclist's Touring category, the BMW R 1200 RT combines the potent torque of the BMW Boxer engine with the sophisticated design and smooth ride of a premium-touring machine. The RT has traditionally been the mainstay of BMW's model line. BMW Motorrad has again reinvented the new R 1200 R creating a mix of excitement and ergnomics making the RT equally capable of nimbly leaning into a Rocky Mountain pass or gliding gracefully over a grey slash of Montana highway.

BMW R 1200 GS Named Motorcyclist's 2004 Motorcycle of the Year

The BMW R 1200 GS has added yet another award to its list of achievements by being named the 2004 Motorcycle of the Year by Motorcyclist magazine. The annual award, featured in the September issue of Motorcyclist, recognizes a newly introduced motorcycle that has had a profound impact on motorcycling. According to the editors of Motorcyclist, “Nothing else with two wheels and an engine lets you taste more of what motorcycling is all about. This uncanny breadth of real-world all-aroundness is what makes BMW’s new R 1200 GS our 2004 Motorcycle of the Year.” “We are delighted that the GS has been so well received by the motorcycling press and motorcycle enthusiasts,” commented Arturo Pineiro, Vice President, BMW Motorrad USA, at an awards presentation at BMW headquarters today. “This is the third award for the GS in the past three months.”

Cycle World Chooses two BMW Models

The BMW K 1200 LT and the R 1200 GS have been named two of the top ten motorcycles for 2004 by Cycle World magazine. The annual awards, featured in the July issue of Cycle World magazine, recognize the top ten motorcycles in ten different classes.

"We are honored to have earned two spots on the coveted top ten list this year," commented Arturo Pineiro, Vice President, BMW Motorrad USA, at an awards presentation at BMW headquarters today.

"This is the 11th year BMW motorcycles have been recognized by Cycle World and the second time that two of our motorcycles have appeared on the same list," he added. Mr. Pineiro thanked BMW employees for helping to make BMW Motorrad the premium marque it is today and for their role in producing not one but two of the finest bikes available in 2004.

The BMW K 1200 LT was named Best Touring bike for its unique combination of performance features and creature comforts -- such as heated seat and backrests and a self-deploying center stand - which make it optimal for long-distance touring.

The editors of Cycle World credited the LT with being demonstrably better than the Honda Gold Wing, which had won the category 15 previous times.

The recently introduced BMW R 1200 GS was named Best Open-Class Streetbike for its emphasis on comfort, versatility and real-world usability. According to Cycle World editors, the R 1200 GS had the potential to win multiple top ten categories because of its light weight and its "category-defying performance" both on and off-road.

BMW R 1200 GS Motorcycle Zooms to the Top of the IDSA 2004 Industrial Design Excellence Competition
BMW Group Design Team Wins "Gold Award" for R 1200 GS Motorcycle in Prestigious Annual Competition

Los Angeles, CA - June 25, 2004… Once again, BMW Group has sped past the competition, winning "Gold" in the Industrial Design Society of America's 2004 IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards) for the R 1200 GS BMW Motorcycle. This marks a stellar repeat performance for BMW Group’s Design Team. Last year, the BMW Group received several awards from the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), including Gold awards for MINI, Gold and Bronze awards for DesignworksUSA and a Bronze for BMW Motorcycles.

The R 1200 GS BMW Motorcycle was recognized for its lean, distinctive styling, including a curved, bird-like beak and angular, jutting cylinders. The R 1200 GS is lighter than its predecessor, the R 1150 GS, but features a more powerful engine, which boasts 100 horsepower, as compared to the 1150's 85 horsepower. The engine is also eight percent more fuel efficient and features a revised dual-plug system which is capable of staggering ignition timing to improve driveability and fuel economy.

"We are thrilled that the R 1200 GS Motorcycle has won a gold medal from the IDSA, one of the most prestigious design organizations in the U.S.," said David Robb, head of BMW Motorcycle Design Studio. "At BMW, our design strategy is to emphasize not only the uniqueness of our technical and engineering package, but also the lines, personality, and of course functionality of our motorcycles, which make them such a pleasure to ride." The prestigious IDSA awards are held annually to recognize the best in industrial design from across America and around the world. They are dedicated to fostering business and public understanding of the importance of industrial design excellence to the quality of life and the economy. Each year hundreds of entrants from around the globe compete for the honor of being recognized with awards from the IDSA.

"Once again, BMW has combined exquisite, cutting edge design with quality engineering in order to garner the prestigious IDEA Gold Award," said Tom Campbell, the 2004 IDSA National Conference Chair.

The awards are sponsored by BusinessWeek magazine, which features the winners in an annual issue. This year’s winners will appear in the July 5 issue, which will be available on newsstands June 25th.

The IDEA award winners will be recognized during a ceremony on October 30 at the IDSA 2004 National Design Conference in Pasadena, CA.

IDSA is the nonprofit association that represents the professional of industrial design to education, business, government and the public and serves the profession’s needs for information and networking.