Everybody has his or her own idea of what the cars of the future would be like. Some hope for autonomous cars while others hope for hover cars. Some of us want full on Jetsons-like flying cars with the bubble dome. Well, BMW has revealed its concept car of the next century with the Vision Next 100 concept car.
The BMW Vision Next 100 is a Saloon
Well, to be precise, it is an autonomous, shape-shifting Sports Saloon powered by an unnamed power source.
The biggest feature of the car is the shape-shifting capability which BMW calls “alive geometry”. The car is covered with geometric triangles that allow the car to alter its shape depending on the conditions. The wheels are faired in, but the car body will stretch to accommodate turns. The car can also modify its rear end to help reduce aerodynamic drag.
Even the interior has some shape-shifting bits. The dashboard will change to warn you of upcoming hazards by turning red. The dash also reflects changes in the car’s surroundings.
Another key feature of the Vision Next 100 is the augmented reality driving experience. The car interior will be wrapped in augmented reality display to show hazards in your field of view. It can show you road hazards that are obscured by other cars. The drive mode also hinges on augmented reality. In boost mode where you take control of the car, augmented reality will improve driving experience and driver awareness.
In the Ease drive mode, the car will alter itself by taking out the steering wheel, and transforming the interior into a cozy lounge. And the Alive Geometry panels would warn the passengers if the car is braking or going into a turn.
In a bid to make cars safer not only for passengers but also for pedestrians, BMW has thought of changing the car color to tell pedestrians that it is safe to cross. And there is a “Companion” that reminds the driver of information about road conditions or take control in Ease mode.
The design department created a rendering displays what BMW envisions the car of the future would look like. The body is covered with the fabric-like alive geometry skin that makes the car aerodynamic. There are four wing doors which really look futuristic but at the same time functional. It would be easy to get in and out of this car. The kidney grille is sealed which makes us think that there will be no petrol engine under the bonnet.
It will be a very long time before we would see even a working prototype of the Vision Next 100.
What the future holds for the gear-heads is very promising based on the designs. It is safe to say that BMW will have a lot of time to invent all the tech they want to have in the car.
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