BMW recently announced how pleased they were with their latest design award – the ‘iF Award for Outstanding Product Design’. iF, or ‘International Forum Design’ issue a range of awards for a all kinds of industrial and product design. Based in Hannover, the organisation has a range of international judges, but, especially with the shortlist in the automotive section, the feel is distinctly Germanic. Nevertheless, the new 5-Series was given the award based on what the judges felt was an excellently designed transportation product.
Whilst we would not disagree that the new BMW 5-Series is a tidy and refined car, it seems slightly obese and lazy in its lines. It appears absent of the clarity or definition it’s immediate predecessor sported so successfully and feels a little lacking in identity.
This award is part of a long line of iF awards for BMW. In 2010 the award went to the BMW F 800 R motorcycle, while in 2009 the BMW Group bagged eight awards. 2008 saw the BMW 3 Series Convertible and the BMW G 650 Xcountry motorcycle impress the judges, and in 2007 the BMW 3 Series Coupé received the iF Gold Award as one of the 50 best competition entrants. The new 5-series has also picked up the 2011 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany.
What BMW says:
“2011 sees a brace of 5 Series models – the new BMW 5 Series Sedan and the new BMW 5 Series Touring – presented with the coveted iF award for outstanding product design. With this internationally acclaimed prize, the International Forum Design once again pays tribute to the characterful aesthetics of BMW Group Design. Following the 2011 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany and the 2010 red dot award, the iF label marks a further chapter in the success story of the new BMW 5 Series range.
“Since it was inaugurated in 1953, the iF Product Design Award has been a trademark distinction bestowed on exceptional design. As an internationally recognised “seal of approval”, the iF label honours outstanding design achievements and as such provides a platform for companies to submit their products for a professional assessment of their design quality by an international panel of experts. The 2011 award attracted a total of 2,756 products submitted by 1,121 participants from 43 countries, all vying for the prestigious prize. In the Transportation Design category, the BMW 5 Series Sedan and BMW 5 Series Touring managed to sway the judges. This means that both models have qualified for the contest to win the iF Gold Award, which selects the 50 “best of the best”.
“The design of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan translates the car’s attributes into an authentic formal language. The sheer presence and elegance of its design express the Sedan’s premium quality and outstanding ride comfort, while its sporty driving characteristics are reflected in dynamic bodywork lines and the overall evocation of a distinctly athletic car. The superlative aesthetics of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan are further borne out by its perfectly harmonious proportions and meticulously finished details.
“The characteristic design features of the new BMW 5 Series Touring are its highly individual proportions and surface design – an individuality that creates a dynamic and powerful ambience. The long bonnet, short overhangs, longest wheelbase in its segment, elongated lines in side view and dynamically sloping roofline lend the new BMW 5 Series Touring an elegance that is unmatched among its rivals.”
