Eco-friendly BMW car hire customers may be interested to hear about the manufacturer's new test centre in Munich.

The €130 million build is one of the world's most advanced and allows the prestige marque to test its vehicles under a variety of different conditions, the Daily Telegraph has reported.

According to BMW, the facility is able to create simulated driving experiences in a number of artificial environments including snow, rain, high altitude, humidity, intense sunlight and cold.

When combined with a rolling road, test cars are able to reflect the behavior which would be seen in real-world conditions.

Engineers at the plant told the news provider that they are also able to examine features of the cars such as aerodynamic stability, electrical performance and air conditioning in more controlled environments.

They said that this could be achieved for less money and create far less carbon dioxide greenhouse gasses.

Earlier this year, the BMW Group announced that it had had a successful start to 2010, with sales of its Mini, Roll-Royce and BMW brands all posting annual increases.

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Posted by Chris Weaver