In the BMW Group’s Neue Klasse, computing power for the main customer functions is bundled into four “superbrains”. The forthcoming model also sees the introduction of a zonal wiring harness architecture that’s 30 percent lighter and uses 600 metres less cable than its predecessor. And the best part is: BMW is the first carmaker in the world to scale these technologies across all drive variants. Find out more here – and discover the flexible, advanced software architecture of the Neue Klasse.

The BMW Group has come up with another first for the automotive industry: the all-new digital nervous system for the Neue Klasse. Designed to work with all drive types, its four high-performance computers – or “superbrains” – are the hardware that provides the computing capacity for the four customer functions: the Brain of Panoramic iDrive for infotainment, the Brain of Automated Driving, the Heart of Joy  for driving dynamics and the Core Brain, which regulates all the other basic functions in the car including vehicle access, climate control and comfort features. With more than 20 times the computing power of the current vehicle generation, the superbrain architecture is ready for the software and function updates of the future. In addition, hard- and software development have been decoupled to create a software-defined vehicle (SDV). Frank Weber, Board Member for Development at BMW AG responsible for development, explains the benefits: “More than ever before, all future BMW models will remain digitally up to date via over-the-air upgrades and will receive updates even from the next and subsequent vehicle generations.”

The zonal wiring harness architecture uses 600 metres less cable, making it 30 percent lighter than the previous generation. It divides the harness into four zones: front end, center, rear and roof. Within these zones, high-speed data highways connect the four superbrains with the smaller zonal controllers. These are responsible for controlling and bundling the electronic data flow in and out of the zones, so each zone has its own cables, which are shorter, thinner and lighter. They are supported by smart eFuses – digital fuses that replace up to 150 classic fuses. Depending on the vehicle’s state (driving, parking, loading, upgrading), the intelligent power modes switch off consumers when not in use. The result? 20 percent improved energy efficiency.

The basis of the BMW Group’s advanced software architecture is the new electronics architecture. As software-defined vehicles, the models of the forthcoming Neue Klasse mark the start of developers no longer having to reprogramme functions for each new generation: instead, they can be continuously enhanced, based on stable software platforms: “With the introduction of the Neue Klasse, we are entering a mode of software development where we achieve software continuity. This means we continuously develop software rather than starting from scratch each time,” says Christoph Grote, Senior Vice President BMW Group Electronics and Software.

The four superbrains, then, form the hardware foundation for the software-defined vehicle of the new generation. As soon as the Neue Klasse goes into production, the BMW models that follow will benefit. The first electric derivative of the Neue Klasse is due to go into series production in Debrecen, Hungary, before the end of this year.