BMW to unveil Mini Rocketman, electric car BMW i

Published : Feb. 24, 2011 - 15:52

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BMW to unveil Mini Rocketman

German luxury carmaker BMW AG said it will unveil a smaller version of the Mini next week at the Geneva motor show, called the Rocketman.

While keeping the original concept of the 1950s classic Mini, the Rocketman will feature the latest technology.

Photo: BMW Mini

The Rocketman is 3.4 meters long, a foot shorter than the original Mini and is a three-door hatchback. The stylish car can accommodate a driver and two passengers, and a fourth adult on short journeys.

The car also features a lighter carbon frame that can be seen on the outside of the vehicle, and fuel consumption of 33 kilometers per liter.

By Moon Ye-bin (yebinm@heraldcorp.com)
Intern reporter

Edited by John Power

For more images:
Autocar

<한글 요약>

BMW 미니의 새 컨셉트카 “로켓맨”이 다음주에 열릴 제네바 모터쇼에서 공개될 예정이다.

클래식 미니보다 더 작은 로켓맨은 3도어 디자인이면서 실내좌석은 3+1 시트 형태로 설계됐다.

로켓맨은 크기가 길이 3419mm, 폭 1907mm, 높이 1398mm로 현재 판매되고 있는 미니 쿠퍼보다 천장이 낮고 차폭이 좁다.

외관은 전반적으로 미니의 전통적인 디자인을 유지했으나 LED 램프, 18인치 타이어휠, 영국국기 모양인 “유니온 잭” 디자인이 유리 지붕에 새롭게 적용됐다.

또한 카본 차체를 차량 하부에 적용해 무게를 이전보다 더욱 경량화 시켜서 리터당 33km를 달릴수 있도록 연료효율화를 이루었다.

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BMW i with electric and hybrid system to debut

   FRANKFURT (AFP) - The German luxury carmaker BMW unveiled on Monday its long-awaited new brand, BMW i, with two new models to be equipped with electric and hybrid drive systems from 2013.

   The group is also creating a venture capital unit to offer mobility services such as car sharing and navigation systems.

   "This is BMW i - Born Electric," a statement quoted sales director Ian Robertson as saying as the group presented the BMW i3 electric car for city use and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid for those seeking a more powerful vehicle.

   The group added that it had created a New York-based venture capital unit to "significantly expand its range of mobility services over the years ahead,"
with an initial investment that is to total $100 million (73 million euros).

   The vehicles are to be built at BMW's plant in Leipzig, eastern Germany, which will benefit from an investment of 400 million euros and create 800 jobs, the statement said.

   Auto analysts said the company announced little that was completely new, but were interested in BMW's marketing strategy and the combination of an electric powertrain, aluminum chassis and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic
(CFRP) body.

   BMW said in November that it would invest more than 500 million euros with a new partner, SGL Carbon, to launch the lightweight i3 city car.

   "The decisive point will be the price," which was not revealed, said auto expert Stefan Bratzel from the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, western Germany.

   "If it is too expensive it won't be a big success I would say," he told AFP.

An artist's illustration of the new Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) i3, left, and i8 automobiles are displayed during the launch of the new "i" sub-brand at the company's headquarters in Munich, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 21, 2011. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world's largest maker of luxury vehicles, set up a venture capital unit with as much as $100 million to buy stakes in companies offering transport-related services as it targets urban consumers. (Bloomberg)

BMW 전기차 브랜드 'BMW i' 2013년 출시

BMW는 독일에서 월요일 (현지시간) 새로운 브랜드 차 BMW i를 공개했다. 이 차는 2013년부터 생산되는데 전기차 그리고 하이브리드 차 2가지 모델로 나오게 될것이다라고 밝혔다.

i3는 BMW 최초의 본격 전기차 모델인데 인구밀도가 높은 도시지역 주행에 적합하도록 만들었으며, i8은 하이브리드 카로 좀 더 다이나믹하고 스포츠 드라이빙을 원하는 소비자들을 타켓으로 삼았다.

문제는 가격인데 회사관계자에 따르면 "비싸다면 큰성공을 못 거둘것" 이라고 말해 상당히 저렴한 가격에 내놓을 뜻임을 시사했다.

BMW to unveil Mini Rocketman, electric car BMW i

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