BMW design chief Karim Habib quitting?

By CARSIFU | 19 January 2017


MUNICH: As BMW frets over Donald Trump's threat of imposing a 35% border tax, here's a rumour saying that BMW design chief is leaving the company.

The information comes from leading German car magazine Auto, Motor und Sport. BMW hasn't said anything yet but if true, then BMW has the onerous task of looking for a replacement for Karim Habib. There's no word yet where Karim is going but details are bound to surface sooner or later.

Karim, a Canadian Lebanese, has been in charge of exterior and interior design at BMW since 2012.



As a key cog in the BMW machinery, Karim favours a pared-down design style. He is an admirer of the work of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and Patricia Urquiola, as well as the architectural designs of Rem Koolhaas, Herzog & DeMeuron and Zaha Hadid, according to a March 2016 BMW article which offered an insight into the man.

A designer who grew up in five countries, he is an advocate of evolving design where cars are crafted with emotional appeal and authenticity as well as extensive customer connectivity.

To Karim, the past is important to the future in the design of a brand. He singled out the 3.0 CSL Hommage concept car as a case in point. The concept car uses lightweight construction and modern materials to bring the character of the 3.0 CSL - a classic and iconic BMW coupe from the 1970s – into the 21st century.

 

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