Three Things We Love about the BMW i Series

stage-twin-i8During our Wheels for a Week Giveaway with Schomp BMW last, year Modern In Denver’s editorial team spent some extended time behind the wheel of the BMW i3. Long story short, we were impressed. But it’s not just the i3 that packs some punch. Together with the i8, BMW is charting new territory when it comes to design. Here are three cool things we learned about the i Series design process:

1. Pencil on paper is the first step. Even with the massive impact of new technology, old-school design principles still hold true. “The first contact the designer has with the product is pencil on paper,” said Marc Girard, head of interior design for BMW.

2. Interior design is an integrated element, not an afterthought. The thoughtful interplay of materials, the subtle contours of elegant lines—all this and more is considered from the outset. Said Girard, “Interior design is not only this cultural part of it, but also how those materials are reacting with the people sitting inside the car. That’s the reason why the material process and design research process always starts exactly at the same time the designer starts sketching on a piece of paper. The emotions we have on the sketch, those emotions have to come also through the material quality we have, the craftsmanship, and all the details that this interior has.”

3. Everyone loves playing with clay. Paying special attention to form development, a clay model is crafted from scratch, with a thin silver foil material applied over the clay surface to give designers an idea how the the surface changes from light to shadow when painted. 


Modern In Denver
fans spent a lot of time with the i3 during our Supercharged Coffee Breaks, and now we’re excited to get our hands on the i8 at our Design In Bloom event on April 28. Come see it in person, take a test drive, and get the chance to win an i3 for a weekend. See you there!

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