BMW M850i Night Sky, a one-off whose design features meteorites

Personalization packages on any vehicle are a very important part of the purchasing process, since they allow us to give our car that personal touch in its design or equipment. But there are also brands that take that personalization to a higher level, capable of offering us countless elements that allow the future owner to practically create a unique car, as is the case with BMW Individual, which for more than 25 years has been enabling exceptional combinations on vehicles from the German brand.

The latest craziness from BMW Individual arrives today, using the new BMW M850i as a guinea pig to create an exclusive one-off that they have named Night Sky and which features real meteorites for its personalization. This space material has been used by BMW Individual for the inserts on the center console, the start button, the selector lever of the Steptronic automatic transmission, and the touch controller of the iDrive infotainment system, finishing with pieces of meteorite on the door sills along with the illuminated model name.

These stones from space have a defined design pattern known as Widmanstätten, named after the Austrian scientist Alois von Beckh Widmanstätten, who in the 19th century observed this pattern, which resembles ice crystals. It appears when certain types of meteorite come into contact with acidic components and cool in an extremely slow process that cannot be achieved on Earth. This design has also inspired BMW Individual to create another series of components found on the 850i Night Sky.

In this way we see how, thanks to 3D printing, the Widmanstätten pattern is reproduced on the mirror housings, the front splitters of the side air intakes in the bumper, and on the frames of the side gills. In addition, this same manufacturing process, which BMW calls bionic, has also been used by BMW Motorsport to create components for its vehicles that are up to 30% lighter than conventionally made ones, and BMW Individual has taken advantage of this experience to create the brake calipers and, consequently, improve the weight of the assembly.

Finally, first, BMW Individual has created a special color for its bodywork using non-metallic black as the base and a second layer of San Marino blue metallic with a gradient effect, finishing with three layers of clear coat with different particle sizes to add depth. Second, inside, the Widmanstätten pattern is repeated in the design of the central section of the seat and on the roof, and in addition, the center armrest has a special design reminiscent of stars that light up thanks to the installed LED lights.

It should be noted that the announcement of the BMW 850i Night Sky on this date is no coincidence, since last night a meteor shower occurred due to the close passage of asteroid 2003 EH, which caused several of its fragments to enter our atmosphere.