Bucket Seat: 2019 BMW 3 Series

Yesterday BMW AG lifted the covers on its all new 3 Series, with over 40 years of 3 Series this has proven to be the companies best selling model and hence the massive interest shown for it at the Paris Motor Show after its unveiling. The new 3 which will be rolled out from next year see's its design follow suit to that of its bigger brother, the 5 Series, with bolder accents, more edges and sleek finishes. There were some comments being thrown about online about how it borrows characteristics from other sedans in its segment, but apart from them all sharing 4 doors, I cannot see it myself. The design itself is great, it epitomizes everything there is about the 3 Series in both form and functionality while still having that mature look to it. 

When one thinks about the 3, you get reminded about its sporting heritage, and that comes out in this new design with the M Sport kit offering the end user a more aggressive look and if that isn't enough, BMW have also released a range of M Performance parts for the new G20 range. The thing about the 3 Series is its flexibility in design to morph into the type of car you want it to be. If sports look isn't your style you can opt for a luxurious option giving the car a more sophisticated and elegant looks. Lets look at some key design changes made to the 3 Series, first up is the new hexagonal twin LED headlights, which follow the same design pattern from the 5 Series but with a more edgy finish, these are also available in laser lights as an optional extra. The fused twin kidney grilles is an important new aspect to the BMW design language as it moves away from the split grille we've been used to in the past. Also the grilles are more large and prominent giving it that distinguished look. 

BMW also chose to redesign the Hofmeister kink which is synonymous in all of their cars, getting it up to speed with a modern twist. moving to the back where most of the controversy is sparking, is the new slim, L shape, 3 dimensional rear lights. Many liken this design to other manufacturers and while slight similarities are there, one cannot ignore this is not the first time we seeing this type of design from BMW as it's been showcased on the new Z4, the new 8 Series as well as the new X4,  so why now all of a sudden its kicking up a fuss on the internet is beyond me. 

Moving onto the interior, BMW stick to their minimalistic design but add some nice touches, they've adopted the new instrument cluster design seen on the 8 Series which has a large surface screen that displays all vital info and can also project the navigation map while driving. As always, the interior is finished off in high quality materials with precise workmanship, and the cockpit is very driver orientated. Other key features include the glass sunroof being bigger and the fancy new gear selector. With regards to technology advancements in the new 3, we're not exactly sure whether we will get all the cool new tech that's displayed but there are some noteworthy ones like the laser light option we spoke of earlier, the BMW live cockpit instrument cluster, a revised heads up projection but the stand out one is the new AI interface with BMW which essentially brings your car to life. Speak commands to it and it will do as you say or find out information for you if requested. 

There were 7 engine variants displayed at the Paris Motor Show but I'm sure we won't be getting them all, range topping is the 340i xDrive which will undoubtedly be a popular one. Still not sure on pricing for the new 3 Series and we will have to wait till March 2019 to get a better indication, since that is when the vehicle is marked to be launched locally.  

BMW X3 xPlore - Plant Rosslyn

Continuing from where I left off last week with the BMW X3 xPlore tour, after putting the locally made SUV's to the test at the X Lifestyle Park it was time to take a trip to see where these cars were put together, at Plant Rosslyn. Many don't know this but the BMW assembly plant at Rosslyn was the first BMW plant outside of Germany to produce cars for the brand. That alone shows you how much faith they had in South Africa from the get go. It was my second time at Rosslyn, the first was when we attended the media launch for the revised F30 3 Series range a few years ago and I can report that a lot has changed in that time! With BMW investing R6.2 Billion in the plant for upgrades and expansion to accommodate the X3 build, it was time for us to take a first hand look at what was done to the plant.

We started the tour at the brand new state of the art training center, built to give workers the skills and knowledge on the operations of the plant. From learning about robotics, to the electrical systems and a general understanding of how the plan operates, everything is taught here in this world class facility. The training center is also open to other manufacturers to get their staff skills brushed up. 

Next up it was time to go into the heart of the beast, now Plant Rosslyn is massive, and while you could walk to where you want to get to, it's much faster for you to take a golf cart and in doing so we went to have a look at an area in the assembly plant where the frame of the new X3 is put together. It was like something out of a Sci-Fi movie with a maze of robots, pick up, turning and tossing these massive parts like they're toys. The various components which form the frame of the car, made with aluminium and steel are fixed together by welds and traditional nuts and bolts. While most of the hard work is done by the robots, there is a human element to this process, which makes sure everything is done perfectly. 

We then skipped on over to the paint shop, where we got a briefing on what changes we made and the addition of a 6 story stacker which stores up to 120 cars at a time. There are various processes to BMW's paint techniques, obviously the finer details were not divulged but we can all agree that their paint work is truly extraordinary and some of the colours offered challenge even the most vast colour palettes. from then on we made our way to part of the plant which has its only extraordinary tale to tell. In this main assembly area where the cars are fitting with their interiors and mechanical components, the roof of the building had to be raised but what made this fascinating is that it was done while the plant was still functioning! By using modern engineering techniques like incremental launching, the contractors tasked with this job successfully managed to complete this feat while BMW were still building the 3 Series sedan. In this area, the cars drive train and engine are also married and lifted into the X3, it is quite an awesome sight to witness. 

We were then taken to the Lego room, and that room means exactly what it reads. It's a room where a full scale model of the plant resides and it built completely from Lego! There is a reason for this, BMW felt that by using these popular children's toy, they could manipulate scenarios if they had to change things in the plant and they could gauge first hand how thing would pan out with this Lego model. It was very cool to see how everything was built to scale and the accuracy of it all. Lastly we were given the opportunity to walk down memory lane at Plant Rosslyn, with a corridor dedicated to the Plants and BMW's achievements over the years both locally and Internationally, including that amazing JD Power award which was handed to them in 2015 for Platinum Plant Quality. 

A rather interesting stat that was given to us on our tour at Rosslyn was that in BMW's aim to make their premises more eco-friendly and adding to their already impressive green credentials of their Head Office in Midrand being 5 star green rated by the GBSA, 30% of the power supplied to Plant Rosslyn is generated from the Bio2Watt plant outside Bronkhorstpruit. The plant which lies on the premises of one of South Africa's larger feedlots, run by Beefcor and provides the facility with proximity to key fuel supplies, sufficient water and access to the grid. Power is generated at the plant with a mixture of cattle manure, mixed organic waste which is then left to sit in two anaerobic digesters in which biogas is produced. This gas then gets fed to a gas engine and electricity is produced and fed straight back into Eskom's grid.  By the end of 2018, 100% of BMW Group Plant Rosslyn's electricity supply will be obtained from renewable sources - in line with the BMW Group's 2020 deadline for all group production locations to transition to fully renewable electricity supplies. 

Bucket Seat: Next 100

Not too long ago BMW showcased their "Vision 100" concept, it was to celebrate their 100th anniversary as well as showing the world what they had in store for the next 100 years. It was something out of the ordinary and set the automotive world in awe of what the German manufacturer had envisaged for their future. Following that, the holding company also unveiled similar concepts for their other brands they own, namely Rolls Royce and Mini. 

These concepts give us a glimpse into the future of the brands and what we can expect from them in the coming years. To explain more on how these concepts came into form, BMW Group has said it formulated six central hypotheses for individual mobility in the coming decades, based on key megatrends and future projections. 

• Mobility is becoming versatile: New forms of mobility will open up countless possibilities for people to get where they want to go. The BMW Group aims to play a part in shaping these future forms of mobility.
• Connectivity is becoming second nature: In the future, everything will be connected. The BMW Group firmly believes that digitalisation and digital intelligence are meant to serve people. That is the only way they will permanently enhance our quality of life
• Mobility is becoming tailor-made: Mobility will be increasingly flexible and tailored to individual needs. In the future, customised mobility will automatically ensure that people are able to use the best means of transport and take their preferred route to their destination. The BMW Group will offer carefully coordinated products and services to achieve this. 
• Technology is becoming human: Technologies are getting smarter. The BMW Group believes that innovations are only beneficial to humans if they are simple and user friendly. In its vision, technologies must be able to learn from and adapt to people, so that technology seems less technical and more human and familiar. 
• Energy is becoming emission-free: In the future, energy will increasingly come from renewable sources. The BMW Group has a clear vision of environmentally-compatible vehicles built using renewable energies and recycled without generating emissions. It is working towards becoming a wholly sustainable company. 
• Responsibility is becoming diverse: In the future, it will become even more important for global companies like BMW Group to take responsibility for the environment, but also for the people directly or indirectly in its sphere of activity. One aspect - concerning both the company's international workforce of more than 100 different nationalities and people connected with its various locations - sit to promote intercultural exchange and improve lives. The BMW Group already supports more than 200 environmental and social projects in over 42 countries engaging in various projects involving its associates and local communities to maximize its impact in the future.

Rolls Royce Vision Next 100 see's a futuristic self-driving car with an artificial interface called Eleanor. Something similar to Apple's Siri. Where by the occupant gives off various instructions to to her on where to go, what to do, what music you want to listen to and what temperature to set the air-conditioning on. The guy looks stunning and the door is split between a gullwing and suicide door. 

Mini's Vision Next 100 has seen the iconic car grown even bigger, there is no self driving chauffeur for this one but there is a host of gadgets, one which grabbed my attention is the personalised driving options. It senses the different drivers and changes the settings to their preferences. Which is ideally what you want if you have to share a car with someone. 

BMW Group has really gone all out and whether most of the technologies are still in development stages or just imaginations, one can be sure we will be seeing these in their cars in the not so distant future, and the future looks good!