BMW i8 named 2012 Concept Vehicle of the Year

BMW took the 2012 Concept Car of the Year Award with its i8 Concept Spyder, marking BMW’s fourth competition as a category finalist and the brand’s second visit to the awards podium at the eleventh annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards. 

The Concept Car category recognizes those vehicles where passenger carrying is the primary intent. 

The awards recognize those vehicles most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry. This year, more than two dozen jurors participated in a selection process that involved a total of 34 vehicles, each introduced to North America during this season’s auto shows in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and New York.

The awards are given to the best Production Preview Vehicle, Concept Car, Concept Truck, and Most Significant Concept Vehicle of each auto show season. To be eligible for the awards, a concept vehicle must make its North American debut during the current model year’s auto show season. With the exception of those vehicles in the Production Preview category, qualified nominees must represent an advanced design and /or engineering concept, rather than being a show version of a current production model.

These awards are unique in that they are judged by a diverse panel of automotive journalists from throughout North America, and considered in the specific context of the North American market. 

“With lines that remind me of icy water in a mountain stream, the BMW i8 takes open top driving into a new realm of environmental responsibility, with the mission of the ultimate driving machine firmly embedded,” said Oregon-based juror Bill Schaffer. 

Juror Chris Poole added, “The i8 concept wraps innovative construction and powertrain technologies in a functional, eye-catching new design language that will be exclusive to the upcoming eco sub-brand it previews. It's an impressive blend of supercar style and speed with future-oriented mpg and emissions performance."

By extending the review to the whole package – design, style, materials, technology, market viability and market responsiveness – and concentrating the focus on the market that the jurors know best, the North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards provide truly valuable feedback to help shape the future of the automotive industry.