Munich.
At their annual conference in Bad Nauheim, automobile
construction experts from all over the world selected the BMW 6
Series Gran Turismo as the winner of the EuroCar Body Award 2017.
After the BMW i8 (2014) and the BMW 7 Series (2015), it was the
third time one of the company’s models won the award, which was
first introduced in 2002. The jury of the world’s leading award for
innovation in body construction were particularly impressed by the
efficient development and production concept used as well as the
customer benefits provided by the body.
BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo: body concept with a high degree of functionality.
Introduced worldwide at the end of 2017, the BMW 6 Series Gran
Turismo perfects the vehicle concept initiated by the BMW 5 Series
Gran Turismo, combining the travel comfort of a luxury class sedan
with the aesthetic appeal of a coupé, while also offering a high
degree of functionality. Intelligent lightweight construction and
the increased use of aluminium and high-strength steel types for the
body and chassis components helped reduce the weight of the new BMW
6 Series Gran Turismo by an average of approximately 150 kilograms
as compared to the predecessor model. 44 kilograms of this were due
to the body alone. The result is also much improved aerodynamic
properties.
The jury members especially emphasised the design solutions
developed by BMW for the rear: “Based on a large,
single-section pressure die-cast aluminium tailgate frame and an
innovative rear design which does without a water drainage channel,
it was possible to achieve a very large, convenient rear opening
with a maximum view through the rear window – combined with a
luggage compartment volume increased by 110 litres as compared to
the predecessor model” – as was stated in the rationale for the
EuroCar Body Award. The jury likewise underscored the efforts made
by BMW to reduce vehicle weight by means of intelligent lightweight
construction. Here again, the body of the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
sets a new benchmark, in particular due to numerous detailed
structural improvements – in spite of having to satisfy more
rigorous crash requirements and having slightly increased
dimensions.
The interior offers generous space, while the raised seating
position ensures an excellent overview. Three fully-fledged seats at
the rear with ample leg space emphasise the travel qualities of the
car, as does the fact that the headroom has been increased in spite
of a lower roof line – achieved by optimising the seat system. The
single-section tailgate of the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo is opened
and closed electrically as standard. The luggage compartment volume
is 610 litres: this can be expanded to 1800 litres by folding down
the seats using an electrical remote control function.
Benchmark for body construction.
550 body experts attended the 19th EuroCar Body in Bad Nauheim,
Hesse. The conference focuses on the technical benchmarking of
bodies and their production, as well as selecting the winners of the
world’s top awards for innovative body construction – the
EuroCarBody Awards. These go to pioneering serial production
developments in body construction. For a period of three days, the
experts discussed and assessed a dozen competing vehicles based on
bodyshells and finished models. For the first time, vehicles were
entered in two categories – one for volume-production models and one
for premium segment vehicles.
The BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo ultimately not only won the EuroCar
Body Award for the premium segment but also achieved the highest point
score overall among all competitors. By ranking first in three of the
four technical assessment categories, the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
laid the foundation for a clear outright victory: it was ahead of the
field in the technical categories of development and construction,
production efficiency and customer benefits, thereby achieving a total
score of 39.10 out of a possible total of 50 points. This put it well
ahead of the competitors.