Carbon Fibre Car Market

The rivalry is a clear indication that the race is on between carmakers eager to conquer emerging markets for efficient, light-weight electric cars.
BMW is investing heavily in city cars, pointing to how the number of cities with a population of more than 10 million people rose from 83 in 1950 to 468 in 2007 and predicting dramatic growth in the years and decades ahead.

Volkswagen Group is hot on its heels. Its luxury subsidiary Audi will unveil a carbon fibre reinforced polymer two-seater electric city car at the Frankfurt motor show.
And earlier this year VW unveiled a similarly constructed XL1 concept car, which it said could travel 503km (313 miles) on a gallon of diesel, emitting just 24g of carbon dioxide per kilometre travelled.

Other carmakers are getting in on the act too, most notably Daimler - owner of Smart, Mercedes and Maybach - which in January this year formed a joint venture with Toray Industries to produce carbon fibre reinforced plastic car parts.
Increasingly carbon fibre parts are being used to make more conventional models lighter to improve their weight to power ratio.

In small city cars, this means less power is needed to propel the vehicles forward. In larger, sportier cars it means existing engines will have less weight to lug around so their speed and performance improve.
McLaren's MP4-12C sports car, for instance, is built around a highly rigid carbon fibre monocoque, which means its relatively small engine still delivers tremendous speed and acceleration.

A Lotus Evora sports car with carbon fibre interior and a composite body was unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March.
And Europe's fastest production car, the Koenigsegg CCXR Edition, has a carbon fibre body.

Eventually, such hi-tech, light-weight components may also make their way into mainstream cars.
And it is then that this technological breakthrough will have a real and major impact on the overall emissions and fuel consumption of ordinary cars.

Volkswagen Investment

No wonder, then, that a dogged fight has broken out between BMW and the owner of arch-rival Audi, Volkswagen Group.
BMW got in there first, working closely with SGL's boffins to craft car bodies based on a mixture of SGL's carbon fibre technology and its own expertise in automotive design, aerodynamics and safety.

Mixed with its electric drive system technologies, developed inhouse and trialled in existing production models such as the electric Mini or the petrol-electric hybrid BMW 7-series, the result founded the basis for the creation of BMWi, a dedicated electric motoring division within the group.

Early concepts of BMWi vehicles were shown to journalists at small events towards the end of last year, with SGL presented as a partner in the SGL Automotive Fibre venture.

Within weeks, the cosy partnership was rocked by a surprise investment by Volkswagen, which bought an 8% stake in SGL in February, raising it to 10% soon afterwards.
The German multi-billionaire Susanne Klatten, a member of the Quandt family which owns just under 50% of BMW, responded by raising her stake in SGL from 22% to 30%, thus blocking any hopes VW might have had to influence the company's strategy.

BMW Carbon Technology

The i3 and the i8 are both built using new carbon fibre technology developed in the US together with a hitherto relatively unknown company at a facility in Moses Lake in Washington State.
"Carbon fibre technology will fundamentally change the car industry, becoming increasingly important in the quest for lighter-weight materials to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions"

Carbon fibre composite material has long been used by the aerospace industry, for instance in nearby Seattle where plane maker Boeing has huge factories, as well as in big budget Formula 1 racing cars.
But with few exceptions, it has not been used by mainstream automotive companies, largely because it has been deemed too expensive.

This has now changed, thanks to SGL Group's carbon fibre products, which are not only affordable but also eminently flexible in the way they are produced.
Products made in a process that weaves a cellular carbon honeycomb into carbon fibre reinforced plastic mats can easily be shaped into slim-line seats or sleek body panels, such as doors or bonnets, or even into strong structural support beams to support a vehicle's rigidity.

It is also massively rigid, as well as ultra-lightweight; 30% lighter than aluminium and half the weight of steel.
"Carbon fibre technology will fundamentally change the car industry, becoming increasingly important in the quest for lighter-weight materials to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions," the company says in a statement.

BMW carbon fibre car launch

Next week, at the Frankfurt motor show, BMW will be showing two futuristic vehicles that will reflect much of what the movement stood for.
The BMW i3 and the BMW i8 are both contemporary concepts of what the German carmaker envisions the future will require. Both will go into production in 2013.

The i3 is a small, electric city car that seats four, designed for tomorrow's burgeoning mega-cities.
The i8 is a fast, aggressive supercar, powered by a petrol-electric hybrid engine and set to appear in Tom Cruise's next violent Mission Impossible film.

The cars, which were first revealed at a media preview event during the summer, are very different in many ways.
But what makes them interesting is what they have in common - namely their shared technological characteristics.

BMW Laser Headlights

BMW is working on laser-powered headlights that could debut in vehicles "within a few years", BMW announced Tuesday.
"After LED technology, laser light is the next logical step in car light development," the company said in a statement.

The BMW laser diodes powering the next generation of headlights will have an intensity that is 1,000 times greater than conventional light-emitting diode, or LED technology but consume only half the energy.
Laser diodes will also be about 100 times smaller than the small, square-shaped LED cells.

While it would theoretically be possible for BMW to reduce the size of headlights using laser diodes, the german carmaker says it currently has no plans to do that.
Instead, "the size advantages could be used to reduce the depth of the headlight unit, and so open up new possibilities for headlight positioning and body styling," BMW said.

The light from the laser diodes is blue but will be converted into a pure white light that is "suitable for use in road traffic,” BMW said. This conversion also makes the laser light safe for humans and animals.
The laser headlights are expected to make their first appearance in the BMW concept vehicle, the BMW i8.

BMW i Series

BMW Car manufacturer is looking for a more sustainable future, presenting two prototypes of BMW i Series: the i3 and i8. The BMW i Series 3 is one hundred percent electric, while the BMW i Series 8 is a super-sporty equipped with an advanced hybrid system.



The electric range of the BMW i Series 3 is currently rated at 80-100 miles while the BMW i Series 8 can go for 20 miles before the gas engine kicks in.

BMW says the i8 accelerates from zero to 62 mph in less than five seconds, which puts it the same league as the BMW M3 coupe. The BMW i8 is expected to have fuel economy of about 78 miles per gallon.

The company says it will launch the first car, the all-electric BMW i3, in 2013 and the BMW i8 high-performance plug-in hybrid in 2014.



The price of the BMW i Series is yet to be announced.

BMW M3 2014

The first BMW M3 2014 with turbo power is ready to charge in. Our spies have got the best glimpse yet at the next-generation supersaloon, which looks set to be one of the firm’s best all-rounders yet.

The standard BMW 3 Series hasn’t even been unveiled to the public yet, but these images reveal the BMW M3 version is not far off. Clearly visible are muscular wheelarches, an aggressive front bumper and a larger rear apron, including the trademark quad exhaust pipes. The wheels are taken from the current car, but expect the finished version to come with unique lightweight designs.

The BMW M3 2014 is rumoured to be getting an engine that lives up to its name, in the form of a 3.3-litre straight-six unit fitted with three turbochargers – two driven by exhaust gases and one driven by electricity. This unique set-up is rumoured to offer around 450bhp – that’s compared to the 414bhp produced by the current 4.0-litre V8.



The BMW M3 2014 pictured here is based on the four-door BMW M3. But it’s likely that the two-door BMW M3 will arrive in the UK first – as was the case with the existing version – some time in 2014, with a price tag in the region of $90,000.

BMW 328 Hommage Concept

BMW is showing off what it calls the BMW 328 Hommage Concept, a two-seat sports car. The BMW 328 Hommage Concept car is intended to recognize the 75th anniversary of the original BMW 328, a radical and coveted BMW of its time.

More exciting than the BMW 328, at least to auto geeks trying to divine the future, is that BMW has installed two iPhones in the BMW 328 Hommage Concept dashboard. And not for calls, but to use as stopwatches, needed for rallying and some racing, and to show other key information.

Auto-futurists foresee a time when the driver plugs his or her iPhone, iPad or similar device into a dashboard dock. The device would contain all the driver's settings and preferences, instantly customizing the car.

BMW is mum about the likelihood of producing the BMW 328 Hommage, although if the company is playing by the usual rules, designating it a "concept" means there is at least a shadow of a chance it could reach showrooms.

The BMW 328 Hommage concept was created in honor of the 75th anniversary of the venerable BMW 328, considered by many to be not only the best looking sports car of the 1930s but also one of the most successful on the track. The BMW 328 was the embodiment of what the BMW brand still stands for today – dynamics, aesthetics and a high level of innovation.

In its day, the BMW 328 was noted for its lightweight design, powerful inline six-cylinder engine and responsive handling. The expressive exterior design of the BMW 328 Hommage depicts the modern interpretation of a highly emotional and dynamic two-seater Roadster – just like the BMW 328 75 years ago.



The BMW 328 Hommage is the modern embodiment of those attributes. Translating the idea of lightweight construction into this day and age, most of the exterior and interior of the BMW 328 Hommage are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The CFRP used on the BMW 328 Hommage is visible to the eye. The entire interior structure is also made of CFRP.

As did its predecessor, the 328 Hommage uses BMW's most powerful inline six-cylinder engine, continuing another longstanding BMW tradition.