Representatives of the BMW Group, the Czech government and the Karlovy Vary region announced construction of a new proving ground today in Prague. The roughly 500-hectare property will be developed in Sokolov in the Karlovy Vary region, close to the German border town of Waldsassen and about two-and-a-half hours’ drive from the BMW Group’s main development site, the Research and Development Centre (FIZ), in Munich. The new BMW Group proving ground, which will create several hundred jobs, is slated to go into operation early in the next decade. Total investment will be in the three-digit million-euro range.
Sytner Tamworth awarded MINI Retailer of the Year 2017
141 nationwide MINI retailers recognised for their outstanding achievements in the 2016 sales year
MINI’s best talent recognised across numerous business areas, including New Car Sales, Used Car Sales, Aftersales, Corporate, Financial Services and more
MINI has recognised its retail talent at the company’s 2017 awards. The 2017 MINI Retailer Awards, which took place on 23rd March, recognised the exceptional results from the dedicated teams and individuals throughout the brand’s 141-outlet UK retail network.
Reports are coming out of Berlin that MINI is considering moving the production of its future MINI-E model away from Oxford if Brexit talks with the UK Government don't go well.
Following on from a sixth consecutive record-breaking year, sales at the BMW Group achieved their best-ever start to the year with January figures showing increased deliveries in all world regions. With its three premium brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group delivered a total of 163,288 vehicles worldwide, an increase of 6.8% compared with January last year.
Law360 reports: "A proposed class of drivers accusing BMW of hiding an engine defect in
its popular Mini Cooper cars asked a California federal judge Monday to
keep the suit alive, saying the amended filing took the court’s advice
“to heart” and presented a much tighter case.
Despite the court's
previous rejection of her claims, Sasha St. Pierre continued to stand
by her allegations that certain Mini Cooper turbocharged N18 engines
contain defective oil filter housing gaskets that are prone to premature
leakage, cracking and deterioration.
MINI has announced its plans to produce an all-electric MINI by 2019. The news follows the unveiling of the MINI Countryman Hybrid due on sale early this year.
Applications for 2017 apprenticeships programme now open with 40 places across three UK manufacturing sites
'Girls Go Technical’ runs this Easter to attract more young female engineers into the industry
Young people with a passion for the automotive industry are being encouraged to apply for a place on BMW Group’s apprenticeship programme in the UK.
Applications are now open for more than 40 apprenticeships in 2017 at BMW’s three UK manufacturing sites in Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall near Birmingham.
BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad all achieve new sales records
BMW annual sales top 2 million for the first time, up 5.2%
MINI sales top 360,000 vehicles for first time, up 6.4%
Over 62,000 electrified vehicles sold in 2016
More than 1 million vehicles delivered in Europe
Over half a million vehicles sold in Mainland China
The BMW Group achieved its best ever sales in 2016, the sixth year in a row the company has set a new sales record, maintaining its position as the world’s leading premium car company with its three brands, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. Having recorded steady sales growth throughout the year, a total of 2,367,603 BMW Group vehicles were sold around the world in 2016, an increase of 5.3% compared with the previous year.
On December 3, 2016, Plant Oxford celebrated the three millionth MINI to roll off the assembly line since production began back in 2001. The three millionth Oxford-built MINI is a John Cooper Works Clubman - the first model to combine the latest John Cooper Works performance enhancements and a new ALL4 all-wheel drive system.
MINI sales up 7.3% in first ten months: 292,823 delivered
Sales of BMW Group vehicles were higher than ever before in October, with total sales of 196,002 units, an increase of 2.3% on the same month last year. This result brings the year-to-date sales total to 1,942,642, an increase of 5.8% compared with the first ten months of last year.
Head of MINI brand management Sebastian
Mackensen and Head of MINI series management Peter Wolf preview the
first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand.
Hallmark MINI driving fun combined with zero tailpipe emissions. With the introduction of the first plug-in hybrid model by the British premium brand, this will soon be a reality. The series development process for this car has almost been completed. It features a combustion engine and an electric motor enabling purely electric propulsion for the first time in a MINI. This marks the beginning of a new phase for MINI, and offers a glimpse into a future that is charged with excitement for MINI customers and those drivers yet to experience the thrill of a hybrid.
BMW Group sales continued their long-standing upward trend in August with a total of 165,431 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 5.7% on the same month last year. This result brings the year-to-date sales total to 1,508,659 – up 5.5% compared with the same period last year and the first time ever the company has sold over one and a half million vehicles in the first eight months of a year.
Former Head of MINI design, Anders Warming, who left the company abruptly last month has revealed his new position as the head of Borgward - a German brand being revived.
Borgward Group AG is reinforcing its management team and has become the first German automaker to create a Board of Management position for Design. Effective January 1, 2017, Anders Warming will become the company's new Board of Management Member for Design. "The creation of a separate Board of Management position for Design underscores design's importance for Borgward," said Ulrich Walker, Chairman of the Board of Borgward Group AG, in Stuttgart on Friday. "I'm very delighted that we can fill this position with such an extraordinary and experienced designer as Anders Warming."
The Danish designer Anders Warming, 43, worked for the BMW Group for a total of more than 16 years, including almost all of the last six years as Head of MINI Design in Munich. Under his leadership, the company created the new design of the MINI Cooper Hatch, the MINI Convertible, and the MINI Clubman. Prior to becoming the Head of MINI Design, Anders Warming was Head of BMW Exterior Design and Team Leader Advanced Design at the BMW Group. From 2003 to 2005, Warming was Team Leader, Design Center Europe at the Volkswagen Group. Warming studied design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena from 1992 to 1996. Borgward
began back in 1919 but due to financial difficulties it closed down in
1961 before being revived last year by the founder's grandson Christian
Borgward. Warming will start his new role with the company on January
2017.
Sales at the BMW Group set a new June record with a total of 227,849 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 9.1% on the same month last year. This latest record month means that the company has achieved its best ever first half-year sales: year-to-date deliveries are 5.8% up on the same period last year with a total of 1,163,139 vehicles sold.
Two female engineers from MINI Plant Oxford have secured national recognition after they landed a top industry award from leading automotive magazine Autocar.
MINI's head of Design, Anders Warming, has left the BMW Group after 11 years for another opportunity elsewhere.
First revealed on GTSpirit, the Danish designer had been in charge of MINI design since 2011 after Gert Hildebrand left. Warming has been responsible for the latest MINI Clubman and the Superleggera concept, as well as the next-generation MINI Countryman. It is not yet known where he will be going or who will be replacing him or when.
The BMW Group achieved its best-ever May in terms of sales with a total of 198,354 vehicles delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 5.3% on the same month last year. This continuing growth means the company’s automotive sales in the year-to-date are 5.0% higher than at the same point in the year in 2015, with a total of 935,288 vehicles sold globally so far this year.
BMW Group has joined forces with other leading UK car manufacturers
to help launch the Automotive Apprenticeship Matching Service and
develop the skilled workforce of the future.
