ŠKODA adds sporting edge to FABIA range with UK introduction of new Monte Carlo

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• New FABIA Monte Carlo available to order now priced from £20,925 OTR
• Unique sports design package inside and out
• High equipment levels including virtual cockpit display, sports seats and climate control
• Three engine and gearbox combinations with power outputs of 110PS and 150PS

ŠKODA has announced pricing and final specifications for the latest addition to the new FABIA family – the Monte Carlo.

Combining sporty design, high equipment levels and impressive practicality, the new range-topping FABIA Monte Carlo starts from £20,925 OTR.

Since its introduction to the ŠKODA range in 2011, the FABIA Monte Carlo has become a firm favourite with British buyers. Originally created to celebrate the brand’s successes at the Monte Carlo Rally and the ŠKODA Popular Monte Carlo from 1936, the Monte Carlo nameplate has become a permanent fixture in the line-up for more than a decade.

The latest version, which is now available to order, builds on the strength of its predecessors with a fully-loaded specification and a bespoke design package. The Monte Carlo has the largest wheels of any FABIA in the current range with 17-inch Procyon black painted diamond cut alloy wheels filling the arches. The sporting flagship of the range also features new sports bumpers, along with door mirrors and radiator grille finished in gloss black. Unique Monte Carlo badging and black ŠKODA lettering for the tailgate complete the exterior design package.

Inside the Monte Carlo adds height adjustable sports front seats trimmed with black fabric and artificial leather, a three-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel and red metallic upper decorative trim. Monte Carlo drivers also benefit from a black headlining, carbon effect lower decorative trim with white stitching and carbon effect door and side trim panels. An ambient lighting package, and aluminium pedals are also fitted as standard to the Monte Carlo model.

In terms of technology, the FABIA Monte Carlo comes equipped with a virtual cockpit with 10.25-inch colour display, Bolero radio 8-inch display, Bluetooth and SmartLink for seamless connection to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. KESSY keyless engine start/stop and dual zone air conditioning with Climatronic electronic control are also included as part of the generous standard specification.

The FABIA Monte Carlo is available with three petrol engine and gearbox combinations. The line-up starts with a 1.0 TSI model that generates 110PS and is offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. Customers can also specify the same engine with a seven-speed DSG, or opt for a higher output 1.5 TSI unit with150PS and seven-speed DSG.

Prices for the FABIA Monte Carlo range from £20,925 OTR for the 1.0 TSI 110PS model up to £23,765 OTR for the 1.5 TSI 150PS DSG version. Order books are open now.

For more information, images and technical data relating to the full ŠKODA range, please visit www.skodamedia.com. 

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launches ‘mobile home in a box’

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• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launches range of essential camping accessories as UK holidays soar
• Modular camping unit provides kitchen area, bed, water supply, and storage space
• Add-ons are compatible with Volkswagen Caravelle, California Beach Tour or Caddy
• Unit can be ordered via local Van Centres with the range starting from £495 (including VAT)

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has launched a range of mini-mobile camping units offering a kitchen area, bed, water supply, and storage space to give owners complete flexibility.

The ‘mobile home in a box’ is a range of modular units that fit into existing luggage compartments and provide travel essentials. The kitchen can be ready in a few seconds and the bed unfolds in a single movement making life easy out on the road.

The demand for camping equipment has grown in the past year with an influx of Brits holidaying at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The trend is expected to continue, with 52 per cent of people saying they intend to take their holidays in the UK this year*.

The range-topping, multi-purpose BusBox, priced at £3,340, is compatible with the Volkswagen Caravelle T5/T6/T6.1 and includes a bed, mattress, kitchen area (with space for two-burner stove), extendable storage area, and water supply.

For Caravelle and California Beach Tour owners, the BusBox is available without mattress, priced at £2,555. The KombiBox, which can be installed into the Caddy in minutes, offers bed, kitchen area, water supply, and cargo space, and is priced at £2,760. A folding comfort mattress is also available as a standalone accessory, priced at £495.

The products are the latest addition to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ complete range of camping options, from the compact Caddy to the iconic California, and the range-topping Grand California.

James Allitt, Head of Aftersales at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “Our new camping accessory range makes travel more convenient for customers by combining all travel essentials, from utilities to water supply, in a smartly designed, comfortable, and compact space. Developing accessories that make our customers’ lives easier is a high priority at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which is why our one-stop-shop mobile home in a box is a great solution for those planning a camping holiday.”

For more details on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ camping module visit your local Van Centre or visit our website for the Caravelle, California Beach Tour and Caddy variations:

• Caravelle, BusBox: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/en/service/van-accessories-range/caravelle-accessories.html
• California Beach, BusBox: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/en/service/van-accessories-range/california-accessories.html
• Caddy, KombiBox: https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/en/service/van-accessories-range/caddy-accessories.html

If you would like to learn more about the latest Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles range, then please visit: www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.

Unearthing 6 Forgotten Lamborghinis: Lost Gems of Automotive History

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Not everything was a V12 with scissor doors

Presumably like many of you, I found myself watching Doug Demuro’s video of the Lamborghini Jalpa a number of moons ago. It made me think that despite Lamborghini being a desirable and celebrated brand in the modern age, if you were to show some of their past models to keen petrolheads, they might not be able to identify what they are.

Whereas most could tell you what a Huracan Performante or some latest edition of the Aventador is, some Lamborghinis did and still fall under the radar.

That’s what this – and some upcoming articles covering different marques – celebrates. The forgotten that were manufactured by the famous.

1. Islero

Image: Lamborghini

2. Urraco

Image: Lamborghini

3. Jarama

Image: Lamborghini

4. Silhouette

Image: Lamborghini

5. Jalpa

Image: Lamborghini

6. Cheetah

What is your favourite Lambo?

FAQ: Classic Lamborghini

What is the most classic Lamborghini?

The Lamborghini Miura is often considered one of the most classic and iconic Lamborghini models. Introduced in 1966, the Miura is known for its stunning design, mid-engine layout, and high-performance capabilities. It is widely regarded as one of the first true supercars and has left a lasting impact on the automotive industry.

How much does a classic Lamborghini cost?

The cost of a classic Lamborghini can vary significantly depending on factors such as the specific model, condition, rarity, and desirability among collectors. Prices for classic Lamborghini models can range from several hundred thousand dollars to several million dollars or more for the most sought-after and rare examples.

What is the oldest Lamborghini model?

The Lamborghini 350 GT is the oldest Lamborghini model. It was the first production car produced by Lamborghini and made its debut in 1964. The 350 GT featured a V12 engine and marked the beginning of Lamborghini’s legacy as a manufacturer of high-performance sports cars.

What is the most expensive classic Lamborghini?

The most expensive classic Lamborghini models can reach multi-million-dollar price tags, especially for limited editions and highly sought-after examples. Some of the most expensive classic Lamborghini models include the Lamborghini Miura P400 SV, Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopica, and Lamborghini Miura SVJ.

Which is the cheapest Lamborghini?

Among modern Lamborghini models, the Lamborghini Urus SUV is generally considered the most affordable option. However, in the context of classic Lamborghini models, prices can vary significantly depending on the specific model, condition, and rarity. It is advisable to consult with experts and conduct thorough research to determine the current market value of a particular classic Lamborghini.

What is the rarest Lamborghini car?

The Lamborghini Veneno is considered one of the rarest Lamborghini cars ever produced. Only a limited number of Veneno models were built, with a total production of only a few units. The Veneno is known for its extreme performance, aggressive design, and exclusivity.

What is the coolest Lamborghini ever made?

The Lamborghini Countach is often regarded as one of the coolest Lamborghini models ever made. Introduced in the 1970s, the Countach features futuristic and angular styling that became synonymous with the Lamborghini brand. Its striking design, scissor doors, and powerful performance have captured the imagination of car enthusiasts for decades.

What is the rarest supercar ever?

The Jaguar XJ220 is often considered one of the rarest supercars ever produced. It was introduced in the early 1990s and featured a limited production run. Only a small number of XJ220 models were built, making it highly sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts.

The Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina is indeed one of the rarest and most exclusive supercars ever produced. It was commissioned by James Glickenhaus and built by Pininfarina based on the Ferrari Enzo platform. Only one unit of the Ferrari P4/5 was ever created, making it a unique and highly sought-after collector’s car.

However, it’s worth noting that rarity can be subjective and depends on various factors, including production numbers, limited editions, and special variants. Other supercars, such as the Lamborghini Veneno, McLaren F1 LM, and Bugatti La Voiture Noire, are also considered extremely rare and highly valuable.

What is the legendary Lamborghini?

The Lamborghini Miura is often regarded as a legendary Lamborghini model. Its groundbreaking design, powerful performance, and influential impact on the automotive industry have earned it a legendary status among car enthusiasts and collectors.

The Countach : First of its kind

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Not a history lesson but here are some facts and figures that I have learned about the Countach.

Countach was one of those models from Lamborghini that helped the brand survive in its crisis. During the 1970s, the Italian supercar cum tractor manufacturer was struggling with financial difficulties and one of the main reasons was the oil crisis of the 70s. It was still running under the control of its legendary founder Ferruccio Lamborghini and the Countach is classified among the last few revolutionary products from the bull garage which was developed before his retirement. Lamborghini wanted to create a successor of the legendary Miura which will offer more comfort, performance and will have a beautiful appearance among the buyers and enthusiasts. So, the Countach came into life. This year, the Countach turns 50 as it was first unveiled on March 11, 1971, at the Geneva Motor Show. So let’s take a look at a few interesting facts about this striking Lambo from the 70s.

The Countach LP500 at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971 | Photo via: design-is-fine.org

It is not named after a Bull

Yes, it was one of the only five(if I’m correct) Lamborghini models that were not named after a bull. There’s an interesting story behind the nomenclature of this beauty. Let’s have the words from the designer Marcello Gandini himself-

“When we were working at night, to keep our morale up, there was a jousting spirit, so I said we could call it Countach, just as a joke…”

Marcello Gandini

“When we made cars for the car shows, we worked at night and we were all tired, so we would joke around to keep our morale up. There was a profiler working with us who made the locks. He was two meters tall with two enormous hands, and he performed all the little jobs. He spoke almost only Piedmontese, didn’t even speak Italian. Piedmontese is much different from Italian and sounds like French. One of his most frequent exclamations was ‘countach’, which literally means plague, contagion, and is actually used more to express amazement or even admiration, like ‘goodness’. He had this habit. When we were working at night, to keep our morale up, there was a jousting spirit, so I said we could call it Countach, just as a joke, to say an exaggerated quip, without any conviction. There nearby was Bob Wallace, who assembled the mechanics – we always made the cars operational. At that time you could even roll into the car shows with the car running, which was marvellous. So jokingly I asked Bob Wallace how it sounded to an Anglo-Saxon ear. He said it in his own way, strangely. It worked. We immediately came up with the writing and stuck it on. But maybe the real suggestion was the idea of one of my co-workers, a young man who said let’s call it that. That is how the name was coined….”

One supercar, several engines

The whole Countach series used V12s that were longitudinally positioned which is why they were named with “LP” which indicates “Longitudinale Posteriore” in Italian. It was a move from the usual transversely mounted V12s from their previous flagship supercar Miura as longitudinally-mounted engines had proved to offer better usability and handling than the transversal ones. Till date, most supercars and performance cars use longitudinally-mounted engines for the same reason.

Countach LP500 | Photo via: Lamborghini

In its lifetime it met with a lot of new engines that would power it to reach the 300 kph mark(186mph). The first engine that it had was a 4.97-litre naturally aspirated V12 which was used in the first appearance of the Countach in 1971. But, the road tests showed that it was too immature and delicate for the car. So, Lamborghini decided to use a 3.93-litre engine instead, which will make its way to the first production-spec Countach called LP400.

About 4 years later the LP 400S was introduced which kept using the same engine. And after passing another 4 years, Lamborghini came up with the LP500 S which had a new 4.75-litre engine, that produced around 20 horses more than its predecessor.

As three more years passed, in 1985 Lamborghini introduced the Countach 5000 QV. QV means Quattrovalvole(obviously Italian) which translates to Four valves, as the engine now had four valves in each cylinder. And guess what? The engine got bigger in size too. They leapt into a 5.2-litre engine and the power figure increased from 370 hp to almost 450 hp in a matter of a few years. Plus, in the latter days, some of these engines came with an electronic fuel injection system too.

These engines powered the Countach for nearly two decades. Till now we only talked about naturally aspirated engines, have you ever dreamt about having a twin-turbocharged V12 in your Lambo? Sounds very outrageous, doesn’t it?

Countach 5000 QV | Photo via : The Car Shrink

Well, the outrageous dreams of yours and mine do exist in the real world. Two of the Countachs were turbocharged and one of them produced power figures around 750 horsepowers in the early 1980s, would you believe that? Honestly, it was really hard for me to believe because it’s a power figure that we see in recent supercars (please keep the EVs and hybrids out of the equation). Even the current flagship product of Lamborghini, the Aventador is producing about 780 hp with a 6.5-litre engine. So 40 years ago there was a Lamborghini that produced power figures that were pretty similar to today’s ones. And it has kept me surprised still now.

Countach LP500 Turbo S Prototype | Photo via: wallup.net

But the question is- why were only two of them made like that?

Actually, the Swiss distributor of Lamborghini at that time turned an LP400S and an LP500S into two twin-turbocharged unique versions of Countach of which, the LP500 Turbo S was the one that was showcased in the 1984 Geneva motor show. It is to be noted that Lambo doesn’t usually lean on turbocharging their supercars to increase power figures like others. They are known for their naturally aspirated V12 perfections. So this twin-turbo Lambo duo is a kind of exception that you’d barely expect from the bull garage.

Leaving curves and going edgy

I would like to share my personal feelings about the designs of cars while talking about the design revolution of Lamborghini. In Donut Media’s words, the Countach looked like a “rocket ship”. There were several vents and scoops and a vast amount of angles. Besides that, it was the first Lamborghini to come up with the scissor doors; to be precise, it was the first production car to come up with scissor doors so a lot of people call it Lambo doors even if they see it fitted in a McLaren. It was very edgy and felt like it was from the future. Even I still feel like it is something from the 90s.

Now, I am not really a fan of super-edgy, heavily striking designs. Alongside that, I am very much biased towards the four-door coupe type vehicle designs. In simple words, I like the RS5 coupe or the RS6 Avant more than the R8. Maybe I am more of a fan of well-proportioned car designs. This is why, from my perspective, compact supercars with striking designs don’t really feel great. So a lot of times I feel like the Countach could have been a bit curvier, and wavy like the Miura. Sometimes I feel like the Countach is too straightforward.

But hey, it was just the start of a new era of designing. It doesn’t matter whether it was beautiful to me or not. What matters is that it was a revolutionary design that was way ahead of its time. A lot of owners have acknowledged that it is not really made for being practical and comfortable, there are loads of issues about this elementary design but whenever you are looking back at the car or driving it, you are driving something that gave birth to the current generation of Lamborghinis. Honestly, if I am given the option of choosing a Lamborghini over its design beauty, I will probably choose any other car but the Countach. But if there are no design criteria then the Countach would be my most prior choice as it stands as a revolution.

So those above were three of the most interesting facts that I found about the Lamborghini Countach. As a lot of car guys, I do love studying cars and talking about them. Let me know what else car do you want me to study in the comments below and I’ll write a summary about that.

You may follow me if you like the article, which kind of works as an inspiration as well as an incentive to write more for you and for me.

I always welcome everyone to advise me about my writing.

Thank you for your time.

Europe to lead the charge to electrification under Nissan Ambition 2030 vision

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• Europe at the forefront of Nissan’s’ new long-term strategy to accelerate electrification
• CHILL OUT Concept unveiled, previewing future EV Crossover to be built in the UK
• New battery refurbishing facility planned for Europe

Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s new long-term vision for empowering mobility and beyond, responds to critical environmental, societal and customer needs.

Nissan aims to become a truly sustainable company, driving towards a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world.

The AMIEO region, with EV36Zero at its centre, will play a leading role in the delivery of Ambition 2030, which supports Nissan’s goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050, including:

• By the end of fiscal year 2023, Nissan will offer an electrified option on all of its passenger cars in Europe, with more than 75% of sales to be electrified by fiscal year 2026.

• Unveiled today, the new generation crossover concept CHILL OUT, as announced in Sunderland this July as part of the EV36Zero project, utilises the Alliance CMF-EV platform and offers breath-taking acceleration and an unparalleled feeling of control. It has a sleek and modern design, co-existing beauty, and the best aerodynamic performance, energizing driving, advanced safety technologies and a productive and comfortable interior space.

• The company intends to expand its battery refurbishing facilities beyond Japan with a new location in Europe during fiscal year 2022. Nissan’s refurbishing infrastructure will support a circular economy in energy management, and the company aims to fully commercialise its vehicle-to-everything and home battery systems in the mid-2020s.

• Building on the success of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market EV, Nissan will soon introduce its innovative e-POWER technology to the all-new Qashqai and X-Trail. With the imminent arrival of the 100% electric crossover Ariya, as well as the future full electric Townstar van, a fully electrified European lineup is within sight.

“For the past decade the Europe region has been leading the switch to electrification. Our vision for the next decade is to accelerate this further, with new products and technologies that will transform the driving experience for Nissan customers,” said Guillaume Cartier, Chairperson for the Nissan AMIEO Region.

“Not only will we offer an electrified version for all of our passenger models in Europe, our 360-degree vision for sustainable mobility will bring 100% renewable electricity to our EV Hub in the UK, and will see new battery refurbishment facilities introduced in Europe.

“Spearheading the journey to full electrification and carbon neutrality, our teams and products in Europe will also inform and support our plans for electrified vehicles in the rest of the AMIEO region and other markets globally.”

With this vision, Nissan wants to deliver strategic value by empowering journeys offering confident, exciting, and more integrated experiences to customers, and through collaborations, empower society to build a smart ecosystem with integrated mobility.

Earlier this year, Nissan launched EV36Zero, the world’s first fully integrated EV manufacturing ecosystem, connecting mobility and energy management to help the company realise its carbon neutrality goals. Centred around the company’s plant in Sunderland, UK, the new hub incorporates future EV production, a new gigafactory and 100% renewable electricity, representing an initial £1bn investment.

The BMW Group emphasizes its consistent focus on sustainability at the 2021 IAA Mobility: More stringent CO2 targets go hand in hand with concrete measures and concepts for implementation

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• Increased pace in the battle against climate change
• Commitment to a clear course to achieve the 5-degree target
• 50% reduction in global CO₂ use-phase emissions by 2030
• Over 40% reduction in CO₂ emissions during life cycle
• Circular economy: Up to 50% use of secondary material planned
• E offensive: Delivery volume for battery cells almost doubled – ten million all-electric vehicles within ten years
• BMW i Vision Circular demonstrates the potential of a car that is consistently aligned to material cycles
• Four additional concept vehicles for a pioneering sustainable mobility mix on two and four wheels
• All-electric core models BMW iX and BMW i4 celebrate their motor show premiere

The BMW Group is putting circular economy and sustainable urban mobility at the centre of its presence at the 2021 IAA Mobility.

At the motor show, the company is consistently demonstrating its sustainability and CO₂ targets as well as its concrete measures and concepts to achieve these goals.

More stringent CO₂ targets and consistent focus on a circular economy
The BMW Group is increasing the pace of its efforts to combat climate change. Looking ahead to the introduction of the Neue Klasse, the company is further strengthening its self- defined objectives, announced in summer last year, to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, whilst also committing itself to a clear course that supports the 1.5 degree target for the limitation of global warming. The Neue Klasse will also see the BMW Group hugely increase its use of secondary materials with a firm focus on the principles of the circular economy, whilst also promoting better framework conditions for establishing a market for secondary materials.

To achieve a further reduction in CO₂ emissions, the focus is on the utilisation phase of vehicles, which account for 70% of the BMW Group’s CO₂ footprint. By 2030, the CO₂ emissions per vehicle and kilometre driven will be at least halved from 2019 levels. The commitment of all manufacturers when it comes to combatting climate change can best be compared when looking at the entire life cycle of a vehicle, including production and upstream supply chain. Here, the BMW Group is planning a reduction of CO₂ emission per vehicle of at least 40%.

“How companies are dealing with CO₂ emissions has become a major factor when it comes to judging corporate action. The decisive factor in the fight against global warming is how strongly we can improve the carbon footprint of vehicles over their entire life span. This is why we are setting ourselves transparent and ambitious goals for the substantial reduction of CO₂ emissions; these are validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative and will deliver an effective and measurable contribution,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in Munich on Thursday. “With the Neue Klasse we are significantly sharpening our commitment and also committing ourselves to a clear course for achieving the 1.5 degree target.”

The most powerful driver on this path to climate neutrality is electric mobility, with the BMW Group’s Neue Klasse set to provide significant further momentum to the market. During the next ten years or so, the company will be putting around ten million all- electric vehicles on the road. As early as 2030, at least half of global BMW Group sales will be all-electric vehicles, with the MINI brand offering exclusively all-electric vehicles from 2030.

Against this background, the BMW Group has also almost doubled the delivery volume for battery cells – a volume of EUR 22.36 billion has been agreed with the relevant suppliers for the fifth generation of the BMW electric drive.

BMW i4 and iX as drivers for promoting e-mobility at the IAA Mobility
With the BMW iX and the BMW i4, two important core models of this electric offensive are introduced to the general public for the first time on the occasion of the 2021 IAA Mobility. The BMW iX, the new technological flagship of the BMW Group, is a spearhead in the areas of electromobility and digitisation. BMW eDrive technology of the fifth generation enables locally emission-free driving pleasure with electric four-wheel drive and an extended range.

With the BMW i4, all-electric mobility is now available for the first time in a premium mid- range model. Electric mobility has reached the core of the BMW brand. The BMW i4 combines locally emission-free driving pleasure in a particularly sporty style with ample space and the practicality of a four-door Gran Coupe.

Fully electric versions of the high-volume BMW 5 Series and the BMW X1 will follow in the years to come. The same is true for the BMW 7 Series and the successor of the MINI Countryman. In 2023, the BMW Group will have at least one fully electric model on the road in around 90% of its current market segments.

BMW Motorrad is also consistently pursuing an electromobility strategy for metropolitan areas. The BMW CE 04, also presented at the 2021 IAA Mobility, ensures sustainable driving pleasure on two wheels . With its electric drive, future-oriented design and innovative connectivity solutions, the new scooter combines the functions of mobility and communication.

CO₂ reduction through circular economy: BMW i Vision Circular shows enormous potential
However, climate friendly mobility is not automatically created through a higher number of electric vehicles on the road. Furthermore, it is crucial to reduce the use of primary material and the related environmentally harmful exploitation of resources and their often CO₂– intensive processing – especially when it comes to car manufacturing, one of the most resource-intensive industries.

As part of its holistic approach to sustainability, the BMW Group aims to increase significantly the percentage of secondary materials in its vehicles. On average, current vehicles are manufactured using almost 30 percent recycled and reusable materials. With the ‘Secondary First’ approach, BMW Group plans to successively raise this figure to 50 percent.

With the BMW i Vision Circular, the BMW Group is demonstrating the consistent design of a car according to the principles of a circular economy. The overall design goal of this visionary vehicle was to create a vehicle that is optimized for closed material cycles and achieves a rate of 100% recycled materials or 100% recyclability. In addition to bio-based and certified raw materials, materials that have already passed through a product life cycle – so-called secondary materials – are used for this purpose. This also applies to the energy storage system: The solid-state battery of the BMW i Vision Circular is 100% recyclable and almost completely made from recycled materials. At the same time, it will achieve a considerably higher energy density with significantly fewer of the most valuable resources.

“We have included circularity in our concept right from the start when designing the BMW i Vision Circular. That’s why this visionary vehicle is full of innovative ideas that combine sustainability with new and inspiring aesthetics – we call this approach Circular Design,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. Circular Design is based on the four principles RE:THINK, RE:DUCE, RE:USE and RE:CYCLE.

Four additional groundbreaking concepts for sustainable urban mobility
Under the umbrella of electric mobility, digitisation and sustainability, the BMW Group will be presenting four additional groundbreaking concepts for a versatile and sustainable mobility mix on two and four wheels at the 2021 IAA Mobility – in addition to the BMW i Vision Circular.

With the BMW i Vision AMBY, the first high-speed pedelec, the company is presenting a visionary two-wheel solution for urban mobility of tomorrow. From the outside, the BMW i Vision AMBY resembles an e-bike, but offers significantly more possibilities. The electric drive system comprises three speed stages for different road types: Up to 25 km/h for use on cycle paths, up to 45 km/h on inner-city roads and up to 60 km/h maximum speed on multi-lane roads and out-of-town. The speed modes available to the rider are stored on a smartphone app. Manual selection of the speed level is conceivable, as is the automatic detection of position and road type by means of geofencing technology and the associated automatic adjustment of the maximum speed.

The BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY has a similar approach, combining the benefits of a motorcycle with those of a bicycle. It is an extremely emotional, electric mobility concept for clever mobility in and out of the city combined with maximum flexibility. Through an automated speed limitation system, thanks to innovative geofencing technology, the rider can also travel on roads (up to 60 km/h) as well as on bicycle paths (up to 25 km/h). Unlike the BMW i Vision AMBY, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY accelerates using a throttle grip and has typical motorcycle footrests instead of pedals.

As a legal framework for such vehicles with a modular speed concept does not yet exist, the AMBY visionary vehicles are meant to provide stimulus for such legislation to come into effect.

BMW Motorrad is represented with another concept at the 2021 IAA Mobility – the BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02. This is neither a classic motorcycle nor a scooter, but a completely new mobility offer. It is an easily accessible, electric two-wheeler for those aged 16 and above who want to be mobile and independent. The emphasis is on fresh looks, ease of use and plenty of emotions.

MINI Vision Urbanaut as a space concept for the mobility of the future
The main attraction of the MINI brand at the IAA is the MINI Vision Urbanaut, an innovative and fully electric vision of space for the mobility of the future. Here, typical MINI characteristics are translated into the future of mobility and given an individual interpretation. The MINI Vision Urbanaut is the epitome of “clever use of space” and a response to the needs of future cities and lifestyles. The interior, in particular, is completely new in design and uses sustainable materials such as cork for the floor and steering wheel or recycled fabrics for the seats. The reduction of components and the absence of leather and chrome underline the sustainability of the visionary concept.

Links to relevant BMW Group press releases concerning the IAA Mobility 2021:

• BMW Group accelerates CO₂ reduction: https://wwpress.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0341522EN/bmw-group-accelerates-co2-reduction-and-focuses-consistently-on-a-circular-economy-with-the-neue-klasse
• BMW Group at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich: https://wwpress.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0338607EN/the-bmw-group-at-the-iaa-mobility-2021-in-munich

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0338194EN/the-bmw-group-at-the-iaa-mobility-2021-show:-open-discussions-on-the-sustainable- mobility-of-the-future-%E2%80%93-in-person-in-munich-and-digitally-around-the- world

• MINI at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich: https://wwpress.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0338753EN/mini-at-iaa-mobility-2021-in-munich
• RE:IMAGINE: New temporary exhibition at BMW Museum: https://wwpress.bmwgroup.com/global/article/detail/T0341154EN/re:imagine:-new-temporary-exhibition-at-the-bmw-museum-to-coincide-with-the-iaa-mobility-2021-documents-the-bmw-group%E2%80%99s-path-to-sustainable-mobility-in-the-future