BMW is celebrating its centenary with the unveiling of a self-driving concept car.
Dubbed the Vision Next 100, the new vehicle has been revealed at a 100th anniversary celebration staged by BMW at the German brand’s first factory in Munich. The building now houses BMW’s Classic department.
The Vision Next 100 will be followed throughout the year by three more concepts from BMW Group brands MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorcycles.
According to its creators the car “looks further ahead than usual” and is “designed to anticipate and respond to people’s future mobility needs”. The brand believes that before too long most vehicles will be completely self-driving; “People will get around in robots on wheels.”
The car is built to four basic principles; that it should be driver-focussed, merge artificial intelligence with technology such as connectivity, make the most of new materials and ensure that travelling is still an emotional experience.
BMW says that it began the design of the concept with the interior, which will be increasingly important to future drivers. “Rather than merely feeling they are in a machine that drives itself, they should sense that they are sitting in one that was specifically designed for them.”
The interior will be able to be set to various modes dependent on the driver’s mood and requirements, and will be combine space with the sporty feel that is part of the brand’s DNA.
A novel element is Alive Geometry – consisting of almost 800 moving triangles set into the instrument panel and into parts of the side panels. Combined with the head-up display They communicate with the driver through three-dimensional movements, that are similar to gestures.
The car itself is primarily constructed from fabrics made from recycled or renewable materials. For example the carbon components, such as the side panels, are made from residues obtained from normal carbon fibre production.
At this stage BMW is giving no details as to the Vision Next 100’s powertrain, only stating that it is a zero-emissions unit.
The look of the Vision Next 100 on video:
Inside the Vision Next 100 with its ‘Alive Geometry’:
Driving the Vision Next 100:
