Hyundai Motor hires BMW engineering official for development of high-performance cars

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Monday it has hired a ranking official from BMW to lead its  research and development for high-performing vehicles. 

Albert Biermann, 57, was named a vice president for Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors Corp. He will start work on April 1.

"We will have him in charge of developing high-performing vehicles and leading (research efforts on) performance, safety, durability, noise oscillation and system development," Hyundai Motor said in a press release.S ince joining BMW in 1983, Biermann has been involved in enhancing driving performance, suspension ability and other major automobile systems at the German carmaker.

He, in particular, worked as the head of engineering for BMW M for the past seven years, a division that specializes in sports cars and other performance-enhanced autos. (Yonhap)