New BMW Individual 3 Series at the Geneva

Press Release

Show Car Providing an Outlook at Future Models

Apart from the new BMW 3 Series making its world debut in standard trim at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, BMW M is also presenting the first BMW Individual 3 Series. While this car is still a show car closely related to the series model, it nevertheless demonstrates the potential of BMW Individual most impressively.

Creating this tailor-made BMW 330i, BMW Individual is rounding off its consistent strategy of exclusive car concepts specifically tailored to each model series. All BMW Individual models nevertheless have some features in common, such as the light-alloy wheels developed especially for BMW Individual making their debut as 18-inch wheels on the new BMW 3 Series in Geneva.

Inside the new BMW Individual 3 Series, particular highlights are the special steering wheel with its wooden ring inlay tailored to the interior trim as well as the door cut-out trim made of brushed aluminium and proudly bearing the BMW Individual logo. For the first time BMW Individual now also offers the Individual 3 Series in Ruby Black metallic paintwork, the interior in Merino Amarone leather and interior trim in piano paint. Additional features such as BMW Individual saddle seams on the seats and headrests round off the positive impression.

This show car offers an outlook at the BMW Individual 3 Series available with further features, highlights and combinations as of autumn 2005 - including no less than six BMW Individual paintwork options, six BMW Individual leather colours, and four BMW Individual interior trim options.

A worldwide innovation for the convertible driver: SunReflective Technology

Apart from refined paintwork colours, high-quality wood trim and innovative technical solutions, BMW Individual focuses in particular on the finest leather with the grab handle remaining in natural leather and with exclusive colours. And now a new development by BMW Individual offers the aficionado of open-air motoring in a convertible an enormous increase in motoring comfort - SunReflective Technology.

The open-air motoring fan has to endure the same experience time and again: You park your car in the sun with the roof open and the leather on the seats as well as the steering wheel becomes unpleasantly hot and hard to touch.

This problem is now solved by SunReflective Technology used for the first time ever in the automobile industry: Special treatment of the leather naturally maintaining its superior features and qualities reflects direct sunlight in the invisible waveband. As a result, the surfaces do not become as hot as usual and maintain a pleasantly low temperature.

Particularly large differences in temperature (25 °C and more) versus conventional leather are ensured especially with dark leather colours, depending on the intensity of sunshine. Even with light colours, the differences in temperature achieved are quite noticeable.

On a seat exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show visitors can check out the advantages of this new technology for the first time. SunReflective Technology will be entering the market in September 2005 on the exclusive BMW Individual Merino leather seats featured in the BMW Individual 6 Series Convertible.

Responsible for very special features: BMW Individual

BMW Individual is a Division of BMW M offering customers a unique choice of different paintwork options, leather finishes, wood trim and high-tech solutions particularly in the area of electronic entertainment. The motto, therefore, is simple: BMW Individual gives you only the very best.

Many of these features are in-house developments anticipating trends in the industry and available only from BMW Individual. The range of features varies from one BMW model series to another, but the standard is always the same: to create the perfect, tailor-made car through equally perfect interaction of all the features in an outstanding BMW. As a result, the really discerning customer can choose among options such as a DVD player, access to the internet on the rear seats, or an intercom system. And last but certainly not least, BMW Individual fulfils even the most special requests on the part of the customer going far beyond the usual features to be found in the catalogue.