BMW's Design Chief Says Its Cars Must Be Bold & Meaningful

Domagoj Dukec who is the design boss at BMW has outlined a new direction for the legendary Bavarian carmaker. In a recent interview with Autocar, he detailed a new vision which also talks about its latest concept car the BMW i Vision Circular which made its debut at last month's IAA Mobility conference.

"We must be bold and meaningful. You can do bold through many tricks. Everybody knows how to make a car attractive, but if it's not meaningful, it's empty," he said.

"Neue Klasse will stand for electrification, digitalization, and sustainability," he added, citing the Neue Klasse vision for its new models.

BMW i Vision Circular Concept Unveiled

"As designers, it's about rethinking and reducing. It's how we treat materials - not using chrome, creating materials to use less leather. For us, electrification alone isn't the sustainable path it is for others. They think they make electric cars and work done. But the problem is bigger," he explained.

He is hinting at more new designs which also have true meaning. One of the examples of this is the repurposed kidney grille which has been a hallmark of the BMW brand which is now seen on its electric cars the i4 and iX even though EV's don't need a grille for cooling or the radiator. Instead, it becomes a housing for various sensors and electrical systems which are prevalent in modern smart connected cars.

"It means the icon becomes intelligent, so it becomes more meaningful," says Dukec.