Legendary German sports car manufacturer, BMW, has just signed on to be the Official Mobility Partner of the United States Olympic Committee for the sixth year in a row. However, they have also just announced that they will develop a new racing wheelchair for use by the athletes of the U.S. Paralympics Track and Field Team in the upcoming Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Following the same developmental procedures with the development of its previous technology projects for Team USA, BMW has enlisted world-class designers from Designworks, its global creative consultancy headquartered in California, to collaborate with the U.S. Paralympics Track and Field team in identifying and addressing the need for potential improvements in the team’s equipment – namely the racing wheelchair.
This announcement most recently follows BMW’s delivery of a two-man bobsled, which helped Team USA overcome a 62-year medal drought at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. A BMW spokesperson said, “The latest endeavor marks the fourth vehicle technology transfer project developed by BMW as part of its six-year partnership with Team USA, and in support of its long-standing, global commitment to performance-driven sports.”