Will BMW-Designed Bobsled Give Team USA An Edge At The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics? [UPDATE]
Fri, Feb 7 2014
When we first reported on BMW's plans to develop a new bobsled for Team USA, the 2014 Winter Olympics were over two years away. Now the games are upon us and BMW's high-tech, carbon fiber sled is ready for competition in Sochi.
According to the automaker, BMW designers redeveloped the two-man bobsled from the ground up to replace a 20-year-old platform that has failed to produce Olympic gold.
"BMW's process reevaluated the complete vehicle system: cowling aerodynamics and construction, chassis and steering geometries, athlete fitment and integration were all critical focal points," the automaker said in a statement. "Computer aided modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), full size wind tunnel testing, on track testing, and athlete scannings were all tools in BMW's development approach."
The United States has not won a gold medal in two-man bobsled since 1936. Only time will tell if BMW's contributions will give Team USA an edge at this year's Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
You can watch BMW's Team USA bobsled in action in the video above.
UPDATE: Team USA bobsledders Steven Holcomb and Steven Langton won the bronze medal in two-man bobsled, snapping a 62-year medal drought in the event.
MORE: American Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton take bronze, winning first two-man medal by a US sled since 1952. http://t.co/3lgynFj7z0
- AP Sports (@AP_Sports) February 17, 2014
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By Adam Morath
See also: BMW introducing i8 to US with Hello Future Olympics ad, BMW 3 Series eDrive plug-in hybrid spotted in development, 2014 BMW 740Ld xDrive does diesel in a big way.