BMW's paisley phase

BMW management has signed off a plan to introduce paisley body wrap as an extra-cost option for its new-car buyers. That's the latest word out of Munich, according to an anonymous source.

All along, enthusiasts around the world had assumed that the company's apparent fascination with the swirling patterned designs was to confuse and bewilder the eye and conceal the true lines of pre-production vehicles while they were undergoing testing. But according to our insider deep within the bowels of BMW's design centre, the program was actually put in place to gauge public reaction to the look.

The insider, who spoke under condition of anonymity, stated that the psychedelic look will convey "a roiling, turbulent look, in counterpoint to the clean, aerodynamic lines of the current BMW range".

Hot-climate markets like Australia are likely to pay more for the paisley wrap -- seen here on the bumpers of a BMW 6 Series with M Sport package -- since the hard-wearing polymer resin will be treated with a special chemical for our stronger ultra-violet light. BMW is also said to be working on a further development of this light-absorbing chemical, which will convert the energy recovered from the sun into electricity to recharge the car's battery, as part of BMW's EfficientDynamics program.

-- with Carparazzi

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