The latest interpretations of future mobility are put on display
As a follow up to the BMW Vision Next 100, unveiled at Munich in March, the BMW Group have now showcased two new world debuts at London as part of their exhibition and event platform, ‘Iconic Impulses. The BMW Group Future Experience.’ The two latest future-ready cars to be unveiled are from MINI and Rolls-Royce, and will be on display at the Roundhouse in London from June 18 to June 26. A fourth Vision Vehicle, by BMW Motorrad, is expected to be premiered in October in Los Angeles to round up the BMW Group’s brand quartet.
The idea behind these Vision Vehicles is to explore how we will live and commute in the decades to come. Each of the vehicles has been built by a different Group brand to represent a distinct interpretation of future mobility, and embody a specific set of brand values. The Vision Vehicles use futuristic materials and explore a number of future themes such as autonomous driving, digitalisation and personalisation, to make future mobility as effortless, environmentally compatible and emotionally engaging as possible.
The BMW Vision Next 100
For a brand with ‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’ as one of its core values, The BMW Vision Next 100 must retain the driver-focused approach that is the mainstay of every BMW. The driver will have an option to drive the car him/herself, or hand over control to the vehicle and just sit back. The idea is to retain and enhance the ultimate driving experience. The driver will remain the centre of focus, with constant connectivity, digital intelligence and state-of-the-art technologies available for support. The vehicle will constantly learn more about the driver, thanks to its sensory and digital intelligence which the BMW Group calls the Companion. The Companion progressively learns to offer the necessary support to transform the driver into the ‘Ultimate Driver.’ The exterior of the BMW Vision Vehicle is instantly recognisable as a BMW with the kidney-grille up front and an aggressive stance. The car is 4,900 mm long and 1,370 metres high, yet it has the interior space of a luxury sedan, and an extremely low drag coefficient of 0.18.
The MINI Vision Next 100
Pushing the motto ‘Every MINI is my MINI’ to the next level, The MINI Vision Next 100 is about innovative car sharing. MINI fans of the future will be able to access and tailor any MINI to their own personal preferences, anywhere and at any time. The MINI will be available to everybody at all times, picking drivers up autonomously from wherever they like, and adjusting the car’s appearance, driving characteristics and connectivity to suit the user’s personal taste. The company’s goal is to continue the MINI tradition of small and nimble city cars, with a dash of intelligence thrown in. Autonomous driving plays an important role here, allowing the car to travel occupant-free to a charging station, cleaning service, parking space or the next user. To switch from driving themselves to autonomous driving, the driver simply moves the steering wheel into the central area between themselves and the front passenger, and the car takes over.
The Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100
Rolls-Royce is all about luxury; hence the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 has been designed as the ultimate expression of the future of super-luxury mobility. The interior will be akin to a private retreat, incorporating Macassar wood, a carpet of hand-twisted silk on the floor and further extraordinarily soft silk on the upholstery. The exterior, with an elegant clamshell canopy and coach doors, allows passengers to simply stand up and step out of the vehicle, ensuring they are the picture of refinement and taste wherever they arrive. Customers will be able to customise the vehicle to their own specifications — from wheelbase to body shape, they will be able to choose the characteristics and equipment they desire, with the designers at Rolls-Royce creating an individually curated car which is as unique as the fingerprint of its owner. The vehicle is controlled by a virtual intelligence which fulfils the passenger’s every need. This virtual assistant christened Eleanor is embodied in a digital representation of the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy,’ which appears on the full-width transparent OLED display. It is named after Eleanor Thornton, the model who inspired sculptor Charles Robert Sykes’ iconic Rolls-Royce bonnet ornament. The more time Eleanor spends on the road with passengers, the more she learns about their interests and needs.
If this is what the future holds, we can hardly wait, and if the BMW Group can turn these concepts into reality, the future of this enduring German marque certainly seems bright.
