Hyundai has snagged itself another high-profile BMW veteran.
Last time it was Albert Biermann, dynamics wizard and former head of BMW’s M line. This time, it’s Fayez Abdul Rahman, BMW’s former head of M Equipment, M sport packages, and M performance vehicles.
Whereas Biermann is currently serving as Hyundai Group’s vice president in charge of performance and high-performance vehicle development for the group, Rahman will focus specifically on Genesis vehicles. He previously led concept and platform development for numerous model lines at BMW — including the X Series, 7 Series sedan, and various M brand vehicles.
At Hyundai, he’ll be responsible for doubling the size of Genesis’ fleet by 2020, via the gradual inclusion of crossovers.
“I am very excited to be a part of this dynamic organization and am impressed by the remarkable progress made by Hyundai Motor Group over the past decade,” Rahman said in a statement. “We want to develop a flexible and future-oriented vehicle architecture that is unique to Hyundai Motor Group, to secure competitiveness, especially in the areas of vehicle performance and quality,”
That architecture is eventually supposed to spill over into other Hyundai Motor Group vehicles and make Genesis a terror for premium brands offering similar high-end autos at a higher price point.
“Mr. Rahman is a world-class automotive engineering expert who has developed and led platform and architecture planning for a variety of performance and luxury models,” said Biermann. “His experience and knowledge will help us accelerate the development of new Hyundai Motor Group models and play a crucial role in upgrading our technology to move further toward our goal of making the class leading vehicles.”
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