BMW Z4 Roadster Live Online Media Event

BMW North America hosted today the BMW Z4 Roadster Media Launch through a Webcast, live from the DesignworksUSA studio in Newbury Park, California.

As always, we took the time to attend the live presentation ready to learn more about BMW’s current financial situation, the launch of a new products or general things that we don’t get to hear every day directly from BMW executives.

Since we’re all about Web 2.0 and leveraging new technologies in bringing real-time information and news, we decided for the first time to Twitter the conference, covering the most important things discussed. For an hour, our Twitter account was filled with live updates and the feedback received from our followers was encouraging.

With that being said, we decided to show the “twits” from this morning’s conference, in a raw format and show you how big words can be said in 14o characters. We’re still improving our Twitting language, but we’ll get better at it.

BMW has also released all the videos onto their website and I invite you to see them, well worth it and it filled with many useful info. Watch BMW Z4 Webcast

This news-packed, hour-long Webcast features plenty of information on the all-new Z4 Roadster from a panel of experts, along with Q&A from the media.

BMW Z4 Webcast on our Twitter Account

Is BMW feeling pressure from competitors? “We always feel pressure.The only place we lost some ground was the Z4 and maybe the 7 Series”

“There is always been a place of premium cars..we are very focused on bringing new innovation to the market place…”

“Other than being an engineering focused company, why would consumer really be interested in the news of BMW and products?”

“We’re always going to be pushing the envelope…we are the largest export car company from the U.S…dealers invested 2 billion dollars”

The Z4 conference starts

Martin Birkmann from the Motorsport Dividion talking about the Z4

How relevant are roadsters now in the marketplace? Birkman:”These cars are very emotional, people enjoy the top-down experience”

How this new Z4 will set itself apart from competitors and predecessors?

Our definition of a roadster: is not a convertible, it has to fit certain criteria: proportion, very long hood, engine in the front

There are 3 key criteria that we learned from our customers:1.every day usability 2.need to improve the luxury 3.demands of efficiency

Media Launch: The new Z4 Aluminum top is the lightest in its class!

7 addition models being introduced this year:AWD 7 Series,V12 760,X5/X6M,5GT,X6Hybrid

Nadya Arnaout: We wanted to make the car look athletic, sporty, but in the same time elegant. Getting the interior proportion right was key

Nadya Aranout,Interior Designer Z4:Put the driver in contact with the car, driver oriented dashboard.

Nadya Arnaout:”I started as an industrial designer at DreamworksUSA.Worked on cell phones..but it’s not much different from auto design”

Nadya Arnaout designed both the Z4 interior and the beautiful CS Concept.

Patrick McKenna, BMW Marketing and Communications: How hard is it to launch a model during a recession?

Patrick McKenna: “Using online and print media helped us a lot, increased traffic on our sites…

BMW Z4 Expression of Joy will be all over the web and TV: Tivo, Hulu, taking over home pages, a Discovery documentary, New York Times

Z4 Media Launch: No Z4 M for the future…European Delivery will be available for the new Z4 starting May 20th

A 730d to the U.S.? All based on the consumers’ reaction…the more people embrace the clean, efficient diesel technology, the more diesels