BMW i Electric Cam – Best Of, so far.

Every night on Facebook you can see the best pictures shot with the BMW i Electric Cam App at the show. The ladies with the iPads used to make these images use all their feminine charms to encourage visitors to do things they otherwise wouldn’t.

Here, on the blog, we are presenting the best pictures made so far. After all, there are four more show days ahead of us. Wouldn’t you like to come to our stand and be the newest addition to our best-of list?

The BMW i3 cleans dirty Walls

No, there will not be a road sweeper version of the BMW i3 just yet. But don’t despair, the headline does make sense. In a way.

British artist Paul “Moose” Curtis has a passion for cleaning dirty walls. However, he uses a rather unconventional method. You see, he doesn’t clean the entire wall, but only part of it by using templates and a high-pressure cleaner.

Right now he “etches” drawings of electric cars into the dirt. He calls it reverse graffiti. It looks good and benefits the environment in several ways. The walls get cleaner and more attractive without using chemicals and in the process Paul spreads the idea of electric mobility.

Click here to learn more.

One more Time

This year BMW sends some of their factory workers to hall 11, to explain current technological topics. And they are quite popular. Using the touch screens you can ask the robots questions on several subjects and you will get an explanatory response.
Try it yourself and let the robots dance for you!

The BMW ActiveE – join the field trial.

At the BMW stand here in Frankfurt you can see the BMW ActiveE driving the first time. And now you can become one of the first to drive the all-new, all-electric BMW ActiveE. Join BMW in the next frontier …

BMW in the US is looking for 700 adventurers and explorers who want to discover the new way of mobility. It starts with 700 cars, two years, and one collective mission that will reshape history. Have a look at bmwusa.com and join the field trial.

Hey, Chris Pfeiffer!

Chris Pfeiffer prefers motorbikes. Most of the time.

Chris Pfeiffer loves to do strange things with his BMW F800R. And today at the IAA he showed some of the tricks he can do with it. Here are some pics :)

Born Electric Cam – Video

With the BMW i camera app you can give your photos style. And if you have an iPad and iMovie on it, you can do a nice video with these photos too. Have a look!

The ‘Born Electric Cam’ you can download for free at the App Store for your iPhone and iPad.

A Sportsman in a Blue Suit

Developed on a racetrack and built for everyday driving – the new BMW M5. At the IAA the new sports car celebrates its world premiere and attracts thousands of fans.

Next to the BMW 1-series and the BMW 6-series coupé, both BMW i concepts and the new BMW M5 celebrate their premiere at the IAA. They all attract a lot of attention, but the M5 stands out. Most people stop and take a long respectful look, before getting their cameras ready.

The blue BMW M5 will probably be one of the most photographed models of the show stand, directly following the i8.

After shooting a few pictures, people move on to the white M5, which is open and accessible in the “M-corner” of the stand. They sit in the car, touch the steering wheel and start dreaming.

For many, the M5 will remain a dream, but for a few minutes at the IAA you can get a little closer.

The Grand Daddy of the BMW i – The BMW 1602 Elektro

As a “new class” of cars BMW presented a midsize vehicle at the IAA in 1966, which shaped the BMW brand for more than a decade and still inspires people today. One member of this class was the 1602, which served as the basis for the first electric BMW vehicle.

At the Olympic Summer Games of 1972 in Munich, the 1602 Elektro drove along with long-distance walkers and marathon runners. As an escort vehicle a small fleet of the orange BMW completed the Olympic marathon distance and even went beyond. Going at a constant speed of 50 km/h the 1602 was capable of driving about 60 km. It wasn’t a series production vehicle at the time. The battery alone weighed 350 kg and its overall life expectancy was limited to 2500 kilometers at best.

The history of BMW’s electrification started in 1969, when the first tests commenced. Today the BMW i concept vehicles blaze a trail into BMW’s electric future.

To see the 1602 Elektro in action, make sure to watch the hourly shows at the BMW stand, when Prince Leopold of Bavaria drives the electric classic around the track.

For Your Eyes only: The Catacombs of BMW Hall 11

In 2009, BMW’s presentation at the IAA won the German Design Award. Of course, the spectacular track in hall 11 not only inspired the jurors but also the visitors of the exhibition.

This year, BMW uses this concept again to show its cars in motion.

The important part of the track is underground in the so-called catacombs. Thirty-nine cars are parked there and they go up the track into the hall at different times. Down here the tension can be felt quite intensely. It’s rather like being behind the scenes of a huge theater production. The director’s voice can be heard through the crackle of walkie-talkies, continuously advising the drivers what to do and when to do it. This not being a regular-size track, things are kind of tight and seconds count. Particularly the scheduled shows must be coordinated well. “Five, four, three, two, one… Go!” The road up to the stage is a single lane, always observed by cameras and helpers. “One lap. Slowly, slowly! We still have time. 10, 9, 8… go! 5, 4…slowly, slowly. Stop on the platform. 2, 1 and stop! Well done. Get out of the car and don’t forget the parking brake!” the radio barks. Then there is another voice, “Should I turn it around?” The director responds, “Yes, go ahead. I can see it from here. It will probably look great.” Only the undertone betrays the fact that the production is scripted and less spontaneous than the dialog may suggest.

Here, planning is everything, which is illustrated very well by looking at the wall behind the director’s desk – one paper slip for each car. It’s a ballet, really.

You stand there, listening to the radio, when suddenly the powerful engine of the BMW M5 comes to life and makes the air in the room vibrate.

Looking around – while staying close to the walls, trying not to disturb the ballet – one cannot help but marvel at the treasures that are parked down here. There is a BMW6 and a BMW 1, two BMW 328s, a 1602 electro and seven BMW ActiveE. Directly next to them is the new BMW M5 RingTaxi enjoying its new, if unusually small, home on the short track. And, hidden behind a 5-series police car and the new BMW 1 in Sixt livery, is even an M1. What more can you ask for?

You have a chance to see all these vehicles. The ballet of cars is performed regularly in hall 11. You just have to be a little patient. These photos of the catacombs, however, are the only thing you will get to see of the world below the track.

On your way home? Drop by Hall 11!

The IAA doesn’t just create lots of traffic on the exhibition ground itself. The roads leading to and from it are quite busy as well. So what’s the best time to leave?

Come to hall 11 to find out. There are monitors next to each show car on the BMW stand telling you everything you need to know. Look for a submenu in “ConnectedDrive” called RTTI or Real Time Traffic Information System. It will provide you with local traffic information for your location.

RTTI uses anonymous movement profiles gathered from cell phones. Based on how often and from which location mobile phones log onto the network, a precise image of the current traffic situation can be compiled. The advantages compared with radio-supported traffic information are significantly faster data transfer and a broader data acquisition base. RTTI also includes data acquired from fleet vehicles and taxis. Their navigation systems are often connected to a control center and in this way can provide information on traffic jams or congestions.

In connection with a navigation system RTTI is therefore capable of displaying a traffic jam live with an accuracy of 500 meters. The system also calculates the amount of delay to be expected due to the current traffic situation.

By the way, RTTI is not limited to in-vehicle use, which is what the monitors in hall 11 are supposed to illustrate. Users of BMW ConnectedDrive can access traffic data from any internet-capable device. In this way you can check traffic in real time after a football game, a day at the exhibition or during rush hour. The monitors at the BMW stand, for example, display the current traffic situation around the Frankfurt exhibition center.

So, before you head back to your car, stop by the ConnectedDrive Monitors in hall 11, click the “RTTI” function and decide whether you may want to stay a few minutes longer and watch a BMW show or check out the interior of the new BMW 6-series.

PS: You can also get a Live Preview of the new RTTI at the web – here we go: RTTI Preview from BMW.