Statistics compiled by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority highlight how successfully we have reduced fuel consumption. A few years ago, the CO2 emissions for the BMW brand were at well over 200 grams per kilometer. In 2009, that number was at 159 grams. This puts us below our direct competitors.

It isn't a given that the companies that provide mobility today will also be the ones to do so tomorrow. Every company has to work hard to make this happen.

One doesn't have to be a large corporation to benefit from the advantages of volume. This can also be achieved through joint ventures.

Prestige and premium will also play an important role in the future. But some people define these values differently today.

We will continue to offer the most dynamic vehicles in the future. However, we have also made it our mission to be sustainable as a company.

The manufacturers of mechanical typewriters believed that they had developed sufficiently when they introduced electric typewriters. Then came the PC, and the deeply traditional makers of typewriters disappeared from the market.

There were certainly those who rubbed their eyes in astonishment. But when we held a company discussion forum with Joschka Fischer, interest was high. Six hundred senior managers came to the meeting. In the end, there was tremendous applause for Fischer, because he offered a precise analysis of the challenges our industry faces worldwide.