BMW claims that it’s Megacity Vehicle (MCV) will be the world’s first mass-produced car with a carbon fibre passenger cell. The company has invested in R&D into the viability of using carbon fibre and has come to the conclusion that for its Megacity Vehicle, it can afford to make the entire passenger compartment out of the expensive material.

However, it has also finished testing on an X5 which was built from carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and constructed back in 2003. While it seems less viable to be producing sports utility vehicles from the material, the X5 completed about 40,000 km of tests, with a focus on weight reduction and safety.

While we get a little skeptical about the neat sound-grabs produced by companies to make their products sound revolutionary, BMW looks like it might be putting its money where its mouth is. Martin Arlt’s words sound very utopian:

“In the future, leadership in the premium segment will belong to whichever manufacturer builds its products in the most efficient and resource-friendly way – and offers its customers the most advanced and exciting solutions for eco-friendly personal mobility.”

But maybe we’re finally getting to a stage where companies are deciding that they can afford utopia. The Audi A1 has been a successful little splash so far for Audi, but it lacks any of the real innovation (and revolution?) that BMW seems to want to put on its MCV. Expect a fall-out and some serious competition on its way….

Source | BMWBlog and Autocar

(no votes)

0 comments