Speech by Dr. Klaus Draeger - BMW Group Press Conference Auto Shanghai 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen - Again, welcome to the BMW Stand. Dr. Reithofer
has just told you about the current situation at the BMW Group
worldwide and here in China. I would now like to show you the products
that will support our company's success this year and in the years to
come. I am talking about • the BMW X5 • the BMW 3 Series
Coupe • and the BMW 3 Series Convertible - all of which are
celebrating their China premiere today: Let me start with the new BMW
X5: There can be no doubt that the X5 concept is a great success. We
built almost 617,000 units of this model's predecessor, which was in
very high demand throughout its entire lifecycle. About eight years
ago, BMW set a trend by establishing the Sports Activity Vehicles
segment with the first BMW X5. Since then, many competitors have
followed us into this segment. With the successor model, we are again
setting new standards. This new X5 model is the next logical step in
further developing our SAV concept. We are confident that this new
model will raise the bar once more in this segment. The vehicle's
improvements are highlighted in three main areas - driving dynamics,
functionality and exclusivity or comfort: 1. As regards driving
dynamics, all core elements - such as the car body, steering, chassis,
engines and transmission - have been completely revised and optimized.
2. The new BMW X5 offers considerably more room for passengers and
luggage than its predecessor. There is even an optional third row of
seats, allowing the new BMW X5 to accommodate up to 7 people. 3. The
third and most important competitive edge is the exceptional comfort
that our customers can experience with the new X5. And its excellent
quality strongly emphasizes the vehicle's premium character. In
Chinese Mainland, more than 10,000 customers chose to purchase the X5
predecessor model. And we are convinced that the new BMW X5 will
continue the success of its predecessor, not only here in China but
around the world. Ladies and Gentlemen - Let me now move on to the
new 3 Series models. The 3 Series is the core model series in our
product portfolio. It embodies everything the BMW brand stands for -
sporting flair and agility, combined with elegant design and
high-quality product substance. The 3 Series is a true symbol of BMW's
"sheer driving pleasure". With the BMW 3 Series Coupe, we
are meeting our customers demand for a very special vehicle - a car
that has been designed for an active and dynamic lifestyle, that makes
an elegant impression and that is of top quality. The BMW 3 Series
Convertible is the car of choice for those who love open-air driving.
This model variant is the fourth generation of the open-topped,
two-door car based on the 3 Series. Having an 8.5 percent share of all
BMW 3 Series vehicles sold worldwide, the Convertible is becoming more
and more popular. In order to make this model even more comfortable
for our customers all year round, the new convertible is equipped with
our first-ever retractable hardtop made of light-weight steel. The
three-piece roof only needs a few seconds to open and close fully
automatically. This can also be done by remote-control. Ladies and
Gentlemen - Like all our vehicles, these new models offer innovative
technologies, state-of-the-art safety features and top-of-the-range
premium quality. And these products are developed according to our
EfficientDynamics approach. Dr. Reithofer has already told you about
the range of measures we apply in order to obtain the perfect balance
between improving driving dynamics and lowering fuel consumption
considerably. In Europe and the US, but also here in China, people are
becoming more aware of the importance of protecting our environment.
However, efficient climate protection can only be achieved on a global
scale. Everybody has to make a contribution - not only the automobile
industry but also the industry as a whole. And we at the BMW Group
take our responsibility in this area very seriously. For decades now,
we have continuously reduced fuel consumption of our vehicles, thus
contributing to the efficient use of our natural resources.
EfficientDynamics is our approach towards reducing CO2 emissions while
at the same time guaranteeing the driving dynamics, comfort and safety
of our vehicles. This is why, in the long run, we champion the use of
hydrogen as a clean and CO2-neutral energy source of the future.
Hydrogen has the greatest potential to replace fossil fuels and to
guarantee truly sustainable individual mobility. The BMW Group is a
company that assumes responsibility and always thinks of the long-term
perspective. In line with our sustainability efforts, we have created a
vehicle within the series development process that is based on a
hydrogen combustion engine: The result is the BMW Hydrogen 7.
Ladies and Gentlemen - The BMW Hydrogen 7 is a part of our automotive
future that is already demonstrating its suitability for everyday use.
What you see here is a luxury sedan that can be powered by hydrogen. We
have deliberately chosen the 7 Series for this development as it is our
flagship model for innovations. The BMW Hydrogen 7 has a bivalent
engine. This means that it can be powered by petrol or hydrogen,
depending on availability. Its overall range is more than 700
kilometres, and 200 of those kilometres can be powered by hydrogen. This
facilitates the use of the Hydrogen 7 in a world that does not yet
provide a sufficient hydrogen infrastructure. In our opinion, the
bivalent engine is the perfect solution for our times - paving the way
towards a hydrogen era. At present, we produced one hundred vehicles
for everyday use. And select customers have an opportunity to
experience the H7 series first hand. Ladies and Gentlemen - The BMW
Group has grown strong thanks to its long-term orientation and
visionary thinking. Both the use of hydrogen as a fuel source and the
BMW Hydrogen 7 are an important part of our vision of the future. But
there is more to come. We will now give you a further outlook on
possibilities for the future. Thank you very much for your attention.