BMW gets 'Best of What's New' Award for New Motorcycle Head Protection System
12 November 1997
BMW's Innovative Head Protection System and New Cruiser Motorcycle Named 'Best of What's New' for 1997 by Popular Science
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Nov. 12 -- BMW's R 1200 C "Cruiser"
motorcycle and the company's innovative automobile Head Protection System
(HPS) have been selected as winners of Popular Science's 1997 "Best of What's
New" Award. At an awards ceremony at Tavern on the Green at New York's
Central Park on Tuesday, November 11, BMW of North America, Inc. had the
distinction of being the only company to win accolades by the magazine for
both two and four-wheel technology.
"It is a tremendous honor for both our cruiser and our Head Protection
System to be selected by the editors and readers of Popular Science as the
best among the thousands of new products that entered the market in 1997,"
said Victor Doolan, President of BMW of North America, Inc. "These awards are
a tribute to BMW's legacy of setting technological and performance standards
in both the automotive and motorcycle industry."
Last year, the BMW Z3 roadster received Popular Science's "Best of
What's New" Award in the car category.
For the past ten years, editors and readers of Popular Science have
selected 100 innovative new products to receive "Best of What's New" awards in
ten categories. The winners are featured in the magazine's December issue to
coincide with holiday gift-giving.
The BMW R 1200 C
The BMW R 1200 C -- the company's first entry into the cruiser segment of
the motorcycle industry -- is based on the modern four-valve engine and
Telelever suspension technology of the new Boxer generation of BMW motorcycles
introduced in 1993. It features a flat-twin engine enlarged to a displacement
of 1170 cc, complete with standard Digital Motor Electronics and three-way
catalytic converter. Like nearly all BMW motorcycles, the cruiser also is
available with an antilock braking system (ABS).
Stylistically, the high-gloss, chrome-plated R 1200 C combines the most
advanced motorcycle technology with all of the elegant, nostalgic attributes
of a classic cruiser. It is available in three color schemes: Night Black
with white pin stripes and a black seat; Canyon Red metallic with silver pin
stripes and a black or optional brown saddle; and Ivory with navy, black or
brown seats. The BMW R 1200 C has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of
$12,990, while the BMW R 1200 C with ABS is priced at $14,290.
Next month, the cruiser will make its screen debut opposite Pierce Brosnan
and Michelle Yeoh in the latest James Bond epic "Tomorrow Never Dies."
BMW Head Protection System
This year, BMW became the first manufacturer to offer head protection in
side impacts with the introduction of the BMW Head Protection System as
standard equipment in the 1998 5 Series and 7 Series models. It will be
progressively introduced in other BMW models as part of the intelligent safety
system incorporated in all BMW automobiles.
BMW's Head Protection System marks the first use of an inflatable tubular
structure -- not an airbag -- as a significant element in front occupant
protection. The tubular structure inflates within a few milliseconds of
severe side impact, and stays inflated for several seconds thereafter,
offering additional protection in case of rollover or secondary impact.
Inflated, the three-foot-long tube resembles a neck pillow, and in addition to
preventing or reducing head and neck injuries, it also has the potential to
protect front-seat occupants from being ejected.
Last month, following independent side impact crash tests on a BMW 5
Series equipped with the manufacturer's new Head Protection System, the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety commended BMW for taking the level of
side impact protection to new heights within the automobile industry.
BMW in North America
BMW of North America, Inc. was established in 1975, at which point the
company assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities of BMW automobiles
in the U.S. from the previous private distributor. Motorcycle marketing and
distribution was added in 1980. Since then the company's North American
operations have grown to include marketing, sales and financial services
organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina manufacturing
operation; a design firm in California; and various other operations
throughout the U.S. and Canada. BMW is represented in North America through a
network of more than 375 automobile and 190 motorcycle retailers in the United
States and Canada. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the brand's North American
headquarters, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW products is available to consumers via the
World Wide Web on the BMW homepage. The address is: http://www.bmwusa.com.
SOURCE BMW of North America, Inc.
