World premiere.
Three continents, five days. In a Boeing 777F more than 300 media representatives experience the vision of e-mobility: the BMW Vision iNEXT.
You can watch a 360° video of the redmodeling of the B777F on the YouTube channel of Lufthansa Cargo.
| Like a rock star it flew into the world’s big cities and put on a show for a curious audience of 300 selected media representatives amid a frenzy of flashlights. Munich, New York, San Francisco and Beijing – four destinations on three continents in five days. And all that in a private jet with a custom-made showroom. Shiny, sensational and extremely secretive. The BMW Group presented its latest coup in design, |
e-mobility, networking and automated driving in a never before seen campaign: the BMW Vision iNEXT. In September the automobile went on a world tour in the belly of a Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F. And an illustrious circle of journalists were given a sneak preview of the innovative SUV, which BMW intends to serial produce from 2021. |
SHOW WORTHY OF A SUPERSTAR
In bright BMW blue, 78,000 LEDs in 165 video LED modules put the BMW Vision iNEXT in the spotlight. Ten 13,000 ANSI lumen projectors create an explosion of colors for the 4-wheeled superstar. The showroom was exclusively designed for the “Triple Seven”. After all, the inside of a freighter is not normally turned into a stage. World premiere – a first. There’s nothing like the BMW Vision iNEXT either. The automobile of the future is emission-free, has a network spanning the cockpit to the rear and is highly automated. Thanks to the new power-saving technology, the range is in excess of 600 kilometers with just a single charging cycle – a stand out figure in the e-mobile class.
The Boeing 777F is top of its class too: the most efficient freighter currently available can fly up to 9,000 kilometers without refueling, including with a payload of up to 103 tons. This is possible, among other things, thanks to the two highly efficient GE engines – incidentally the largest in the world. In addition, the slightly raked wing tips reduce turbulence and therefore lower consumption. The Boeing 777F is not as quiet as the BMW Vision iNEXT, which can hardly be heard. But it honors the most stringent noise protection measures currently specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization. In brief, the latest BMW and the “Triple Seven” are a perfect match. And that is also the reason for the extraordinary world tour. Hundreds of helping hands were needed to make the idea of the “BMW Vision iNEXT World Flight” become a reality.
Flashback: 120 trade fair design and construction specialists meet at Hangar 3, Munich Airport, on 7 September. They have the task of creating a showroom in a Boeing 777F in the shortest possible time. Technicians lay 7.5 meters of cable and use 30 tons of building material. Long carpets are rolled out, a revolving stage is put in place and multi-colored light projectors are set up. At the same time, a special livery is attached to the outside of the Boeing. A little later “iNEXT” adorns the rear of the fuselage. The icing on the cake: everything needs to be completely flightcompatible to securely jet around the world.
|
The scene on the day of the final rehearsal is wonderfully kitschy with a picturesque sunrise above the ramp. Airport, Lufthansa Cargo and BMW Group flags have been hoisted alongside the freighter. The final minutes. Everyone working towards the first show is highly motivated. The rehearsal is a success. And then the journalists arrive. The first press presentation passes off without a glitch. At the end of the day the |
freighter leaves Munich on time en route to New York and lands as planned. The Boeing 777F returned to its Frankfurt airport where it is based some time ago and has resumed its normal activities. The world tour has finished. The BMW Vision iNEXT has completed its maiden voyage with flying colors, entirely without a driver – even when circling the globe. |
Photos: BMW, Patrick Kuschfeld, Andrew Kartende, Enes Kucevic
