Bob Ulrich

Editor

Bob Ulrich was named Modern Tire Dealer editor in August 2000. He joined the magazine in 1985 as assistant editor, and has been responsible for gathering statistical information for MTD's "Facts Issue" since 1993. He has won numerous awards for editorial and feature writing, including five gold medals from the International Automotive Media Association. Bob earned a B.A. in English literature from Ohio Northern University and has a law degree from the University of Akron.

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The future may be close for BMW concept vehicle

By: Bob Ulrich

This concept vehicle is 181.1 inches long, 74.8 inches wide and 48.8 inches high. It has a curb weight of 3,076 pounds.

The recent International Automotive Media Awards (IAMA) ceremony marked the conclusion of the 19th International Automotive Media Competition.

I am proud to say MTD took home four medals this year (for more information on the results, click on “Modern Tire Dealer wins four more awards”). After the ceremony, the North America Concept Vehicle of the Year awards were handed out.

I particularly found the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept intriguing. The car was co-winner, along with the Audi e-tron, of the “Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2010.”

How often do you see a concept vehicle actually make it to market as is? Not very often, and I don’t believe the BMW will be an exception (see photo). Concept vehicles, at least to the average car buff, are often visually more fun than functional.

A BMW employee at the event agreed, but only to a point. The visual aspect of the vehicle may seem futuristic (will gullwing doors ever really catch on?), but a lot of the technology behind the vehicle, including the aerodynamics, will find its way into BMW models sooner rather than later, he said.

According to BMW AG, this electric-fuel hybrid sports car combines a fuel-efficient, 3-cylinder turbodiesel engine with one electric motor on each axle. “The special arrangement of the two motors and diesel engine allows all-wheel drive when driving in all-electric mode. The result is minimum power loss and a harmonious transmission of the power available under all conditions.”

Here are the performance stats:

* The powertrain provides a top speed limited electronically to 155 mph, with acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

* Average fuel consumption (based on European Union testing) is 3.76 liters/100 kilometers, or 62.6 mpg.

* The overall CO2 emission rating is 50 grams per kilometer -- less when driving in the all-electric mode.

* Output for all three engines maxes out at 356 horsepower; peak torque is 590 lb-ft.

* The vehicle is able to cover a distance of approximately 400 miles running on diesel fuel alone (the fuel tank holds 6.6 gallons). In the all-electric mode, the car can run an additional 31 miles.

The tires, each size 195/55-21, “provide a contact surface on the road otherwise offered only by a much wider tire,” says BMW.

We may never actually see a BMW that looks like the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics. But as one of the concept-vehicle-of-the-year judges wrote, it “promises that a future filled with hybrids and EVs does not have to be drab.”

Related Topics: Concept vehicles, Green, Hybrid vehicles, IAMA