The BMW is turning heads outside the realm of auto shows since it introduced the BMW i series in 2013. This is the first premium automobile conceived from scratch for 100% electric, zero-emission mobility. This year it was recoginsed with the World Car Design of the Year Award 2014 as well as the World Green Car Award 2014. In this feature, Benoit Jacob, head of BMW i design, describes the BMW i8 in particular—the first environmentally responsible sports car.
Q: What is your definition of good design?
Good design is a combination of function, appearance and emotion. Harmony between design and engineering is key – the design makes a promise that the technology has to keep.
Q: The BMW i8 is the first sports car in a new generation at BMW. What was your job as a designer?
How do we make the impossible possible? How do we bring the future to the streets? A sensational form and spectacular performance with extremely low fuel consumption. At the beginning it felt like mission impossible. Now the BMW i8 is the first sports car to demonstrate that passion and responsibility aren’t warring concepts.
Q: How did this challenge play out in the visual language of the BMW i series, and of the BMW i8 in particular?
A vehicle of the BMW i brand has to be designed differently than others, and not just because the vehicle’s body and concept are fundamentally different. For example, it was important to us to visually communicate a sense of lightness. That brought us to the idea of the “black belt”.
Q: Could you explain the V-shaped “black belt” that starts on the hood?
We were aiming for a design that translated the lightweight construction and powerful performance into a visual experience. The result is really a combination of aesthetics and aerodynamics, nature and physics.