Karl Meine, a new engineer at BMW, was issued a white lab coat Monday, giving him the air of a man at the forefront of German automotive technology. 'Karl will wear his lab coat and observe BMW prototypes being driven at extreme speeds on sheets of gleaming ball bearings,' said BMW chief engineer Gunnar Hoechst. 'He will also stand before a wall of computers as cars are subjected to advanced 59-point wind-tunnel tests in stark, white rooms.' In addition to the lab coat, Meine has been issued a clipboard. 