The BMW i3 Concept may be a bit of an old regular at the major auto shows by now, but it showed some elements off for the first time at the 2012 Paris auto show.

Interior:

This latest version of the i3 Concept features an interior design geared towards sustainability. The eucalyptus wood used for the instrument panel comes from a sustainable cultivation source in Europe and is treated exclusively with natural substances. The high-quality leather of the seats has a fine surface consistency achieved by processing tanning agents gained from olive leaves. What is more, parts of the instrument cluster and door trim are made of natural wool fabric.

CFRP Construction:

Also showing publicly for the first time is the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell [first previewed … CONTINUED

The 2012 Concept Vehicle of the Year Award winner, the electric hybrid BMW i8 Spyder Concept [Official Info Thread], made its first auto show appearance since its world premiere at the Beijing auto show in April.

This was our first look at the i8 Spyder in person and I found it even more impressive and eye catching than the coupe version. We previously put together a photo comparison you can see to form your opinion.

The upcoming BMW i8 hybrid electric sports car will effectively be BMW’s halo sports car once it’s released in 2014/2015. And although an M version is not expected to be released, we couldn’t help but let our imagination run wild a bit for an M model race version, including a full carbon fiber model. Enjoy!

At the 2012 Paris Motor Show, three fascinating concept studies will point the way forward to a future defined by both sustainability and driving pleasure. What is more, BMW sends out an impressive signal in terms of efficiency, premium quality and innovative technology with its latest models in a range of vehicle segments. BMW Connected Drive innovations and the
BMW M Performance accessories round off the appearance at the
Paris show.

BMW Concept Active Tourer: more space for innovations.

The BMW Concept Active Tourer sees its premiere at the
2012 Paris Motor Show and offers an initial insight into further innovations
for the premium compact segment. In this study BMW demonstrates groundbreaking solutions in terms of both the interior and the drive concept. The latter features a … CONTINUED

We’ve spied the production intent BMW i3 interior clearly for the first time. Although it’s still in unfinished pre-production form, we can see some major components and design elements that will come on the production i3 when the first are delivered in late 2013.

The dash and console loses much of the futuristic styled full touch-sensitive and buttonless interior of the i3 concept in favor of a more practical and modern-day style BMW dashboard. It does however retain an LCD instrument screen from the concept. The large navigation / iDrive screen can be seen in the upper center console, still shrouded by the cloth covering. The plastic around the steering column will of course be gone by production and the rest of the lower center console added. … CONTINUED

With the BMW i3 electric city car and i8 electric hybrid sports car, BMW is ready to test online sales for the first time, according to Bloomberg.

As an inexpensive way to reach more buyers and recoup the cars’ development costs, BMW will sell the i3 and i8 directly over the internet for the first time. The i3 and i8 will also be sold in showrooms, but their initial retail rollout (including the first i-showroom in London) will be among a limited showroom network.

The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet. Retail outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models’ … CONTINUED

Electromobility is a topic for BMW since the 70’s. Have a look at the development of electric cars at BMW.

Of particular focus is the BMW E1 electric car which was introduced by BMW as its first all-electric car 21 years ago. It was a revolutionary car for 1991 which featured a rear mounted 37kW (49hp) motor, aluminum and plastic body construction. Its top speed was 72mph and had a 125 mile range. You can say that it is the spiritual forefather for the upcoming BMW i3 electric car. In fact, the i3 and E1 even share a somewhat similar shape.

But things have come a long way since 1991. The BMW i3 concept features 167hp and 184lb-ft torque, albeit with a shorter 93 mile range.

BMW takes the 2012 Concept Car of the Year Award with its i8 Concept Spyder. This award marks BMW’s fourth competition as a category finalist and the brand’s second visit to the awards podium at the eleventh annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards announced today. The Concept Car category recognizes those vehicles where passenger carrying is the primary intent.

The awards recognize those vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry. This year, more than two dozen jurors participated in a selection process that involved a total of 34 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this season’s auto shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and New York.

The awards are given to the best Production Preview Vehicle, Concept Car, Concept … CONTINUED

With the official announcement from BMW of the New Navigation Professional and iDrive/ConnectedDrive, many of you have inquired when the technology (both a software and hardware [cpu, graphics processor, hard drive] upgrade) would be implemented on the various models.

Below is the scheduled rollout for the new navigation and iDrive. These dates do not apply to the new iDrive Touch system, which will have a separate rollout and application schedule.

[b]]July 2012 Production:[/b]

3 Series touring and Activehybrid 3 (F31/F30h)
5 Series, 5 Series GT, 5 Series LWB (F10/F11/F07/F18)
M5 (F10M)
7 Series (F01)
M6 Coupe and Convertible (F12/F13M)

[b]November 2012 Production:[/b]

3 Series Sedan (F30)

[b]March 2013 Production:[/b]

1 Series Hatchback (F20/F21)
6 Series Coupe, Convertible, Gran Coupe (F12/F13/F06)

[b]April 2013 Production:[/b]

X3 (F25)

For those curious, the list of hardware upgrades (vs. the current) … CONTINUED