If you didn't already know, BMW makes some pretty impressive motorcycles in addition to its portfolio of luxury and sports cars. By utilizing the extensive design and engineering resources of both divisions, the BMW Group developed a duo of concept vehicles -- titled Simple and Clever --

with the aim of pushing the boundaries of personal mobility. BMW considers the concepts to be significant enough that it's adding them to the automaker's "Concept Vehicles" exhibit at BMW Museum in Munich. Simple, which stands for "A Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption," developed in 2005, takes much from the motorcycle and automotive worlds and provides a safe and comfortable enclosed passenger cabin in a slim contemporary package. The tandem seating allows for better weight distribution while leaning into corners via its automated tilting technology -- similar in scope to what Nissan is employing on its new Land Glider concept for the 2009 Tokyo show. Powering Simple is a 48-hp engine that allows the three-wheeler to hit 62 mph in a claimed sub-10 sec. The Clever project was launched in 2002 as an initiative of Berlin’s Technical University with EU backing, bolstered by participation from other European universities and related industries. Clever employs many of the same design concepts found on the Simple -- a corner leaning feature, three wheels, and two passengers sitting one behind the other -- but introduced a 230 cc single-cylinder natural gas engine to the equation. The design called for the riding fun of a motorcycle, but the safety of a car, as well as an ultra-small environmental and road footprint,. Its front end utilizes an innovative steering system that's largely made up of an H-shaped swing arm. The Clever's mainframe acts as a survival cell much like any current Formula 1 car does. At the time, the vehicle complied with the Euro NCAP crash test requirements for small cars. The urban cruiser can hit around 40 mph in 7 sec and has a range of 124 miles on a single tank of natural gas. If you're in the Munich area any time soon, we'd advise a trip to the BMW Museum. Simple and Clever are joining the "Concept Vehicles" display starting today. Source: BMW

Reference: BMW

Dated 2009-10-14