2016 holds the future for BMW

This year’s been somewhat slow for BMW, in terms of big debuts. The 2015 New York Auto Show was a bit uneventful for the Bavarian brand, and there wasn’t anything new, aside from the ALPINA B6 Gran Coupe. Fortunately for us BMW faithful, next year will be an exciting one, indeed.

According to Ian Robertson, Head of BMW’s Sales and Marketing, next year will be an important one for the future of the brand. Multiple concept vehicles will be shown throughout the course of 2016 which will shine a light on what the future of BMW will hold and could potentially set the stage for the next century of BMW automobiles. That may sound drastic and maybe even a bit farfetched, but with coming technologies still in development and shared platforms (such as the CLAR), the cars being developed as we speak will lead the charge into the future.

Next year will highlight numerous products that will look forward for BMW. The new G11/12 7 Series is a big one, as its ultra-lightweight CLAR platform is very expandable and car underpin high-performance and luxury cars for a long time. It’s one built with extensive uses of aluminum, high-tensile steel and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP). This will create an incredibly light and rigid platform in which to build upon. Being that the current 7 Series platform underpins the current F10 5 Series and Rolls Royce Ghost, while being a relatively old platform, the new G11/12 CLAR platform should be able to be used in many more applications moving forward.

The current F10 5 Series is getting a bit long in the tooth and starting to look dull in comparison to the newer entries in the segment. However, the next-gen G30 5 Series will be a massive leap forward. The G30 will sit upon the CLAR platform, which is the beginning of the future platform sharing, and will be able to share different front axles with different cars, depending on engines. For example, while using four-cylinder engines, the G30 5er will use the front axle from the next-gen 3 Series, which will give it a sportier, more nimble front-end. If it’s equipped with a six or eight-cylinder engine, the 5 Series will use the 7 Series’ front axle, give it a more luxurious feel. Combine all of that innovation with the fact that the G30 will feature BMW’s next-gen eDrive system, the possibility of inductive charging, autonomous driving tech and gesture-based iDrive functions, and the G30 5 Series will be the forefront of technology in the segment.