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BMW and Mini shuffle NA management, McDowell to retire

BMW and Mini recently shuffled top personnel in their design departments, and now BMW of North America will reorganize its management to improve customer relations. Peter Miles (pictured), currently the executive vice president of operations, will take a newly created position, vice president of sales channel development and customer relations, while Jim McDowell, vice president of Mini of the Americas, will retire.
Chris Koenders, president of BMW Group Netherlands, will move take Miles' spot as executive vice president of operations. David Duncan, western region vice president, will take McDowell's job as vice president of Mini of the Americas. Finishing off the management switcharoo is Peter Witt, who will move from his current position as Managing Director of BMW Sweden to take Duncan's job as western region vice president.
"We are intensifying our customer-driven focus and these changes will influence the entire organization to continue improving all phases of the customer journey from prospect to purchase and throughout the ownership cycle," says Ludwig Willisch, president and CEO of BMW NA. For more information on the management reorganization, check out the press release below.

BMW readying impressive track-focused M Power App

There are a lot of questionable automotive apps that people put on their smartphones these days, but BMW has created what could be one of the most useful and integrated car apps ever. The new M Power App, which will be available this summer only for Apple iPhones, allows BMW owners a whole new way to record their performance on the street or on a track. During the launch of the recent BMW M6 Gran Coupe, BimmerPost was able to get a full demonstration of how this new app works.
Far more involved than the current M Power Meter, the M Power App records data from in-car sensors and acts as a telemetry tool to allow drivers to see how they did on a particular track. Aside from an overlay on a track map showing acceleration and braking applications as well as head-to-head comparisons, the app also shows a line graph of everything from brake and throttle inputs to g-force, fuel mileage and engine speed. A small visual on the screen also shows steering angle, and lap times and speeds can all be stored as well. The data can even be shared with others, whether for bragging rights or instruction purposes.
This app works on any newer BMW equipped with the BMW Apps option, but the phone must be tethered to the car and the data understandably cannot be viewed while driving. Scroll down for the video demonstration recorded recently at Austin's Circuit of the Americas.

Magna Steyr to assemble as many as 70,000 BMW 5 Series models yearly

Soon, not all BMW 5 Series models will be assembled by BMW. Yes, we know that sounds strange, but it's not at all uncommon. For instance, the Mini Paceman and Countryman hatchbacks – and remember, the Mini brand is owned by BMW – are assembled in Graz, Austria, by Magna Steyr, a company that specializes in building cars for other automakers. Soon, though, the contract Mini has with Magna Steyr will be coming to an end, and that means the Austrian company will have excess capacity on its hands. That production capacity will be filled soon enough, however, by BMW 5 Series models, according to a report from Automobil Produktion in Germany. Magna Steyr will build between 50,000 and 70,000 of BMW's mid-level model, according to the report, but there's no indication of which 5 Series model or models (and there are many shapes and sizes to choose...) will be moved to Austria from BMW's plant in Dingolfing in southern Germany. With 373,053 units sold in 2014, the 5 Series is BMW's second-most-popular model, after the 3 Series. BMW told Automotive News Europe that it doesn't comment on those kinds of reports, which, as is usually the case, is neither confirmation nor denial. It's worth noting that the two-door Mini Paceman isn't a part of the brand's plans moving past 2015, though the Countryman soft-roader that currently stands as the largest member of the automaker's family will soldier on. Related Video: Related Gallery 2014 BMW 5 Series sedan View 29 Photos News Source: Automobil Produktion via Automotive News Europe - sub. req.Image Credit: Markus Leodolter / AP Plants/Manufacturing BMW MINI Hatchback Wagon Luxury Performance Sedan austria