The Vision Next 100
concept is BMW’s attempt
to “shape our future
rather than wait until it
arrives”, according to head of
design Adrian van Hooydonk
The Vision Next 100 is a pure
concept to explore themes for
the future of cars, as opposed
to having any production intent
in its entirety. It showcases
new construction and design
techniques, as well as digitalbased
interaction methods
and autonomous driving
technology already under
development for future BMWs
The Vision Next 100 is the
first of what BMW chairman
Harald Krüger says is a series
of four themed concept cars
from BMW brands. As well as
this car, Mini, Rolls-Royce and
BMW’s motorcycle operation
will unveil Next 100 concepts
during BMW’s centennial year.
The Mini and Rolls-Royce
concepts will be shown at
the Goodwood Festival of
Speed. Mini’s will highlight
personalisation and Rolls-
Royce’s luxury themes. The
bike concept will explore the
freedom of travel.
Krüger refused to be drawn
on the BMW Vision Next 100’s
powertrain, confirming only
that it will be “zero emissions”.
This omission was put down
to BMW’s desire to emphasise
other aspects of the concept,
but it also highlights the existing
uncertainty between electric
and hydrogen powertrains
A key highlight of the Vision
Next 100 is its autonomous
driving functionality, described
by BMW as “a question of not
if but when”. Crucially, though,
the car retains a steering
wheel and allows drivers to
take control when they choose.
BMW predicts two main driving
modes for its future models:
Boost mode, in which the
driver manually operates the
controls; and Ease mode, in
which the driver relies on the
car’s autonomous capability
The concept’s body uses a
combination of carbonfibre and
plastic in anticipation of a shift
away from conventional steel
structures and the associated
assembly process in use today.
Eschewing the one-box
pod-like shape of recent futureorientated
concepts presented
by its luxury car rivals, the new
BMW has a more conventional
three-box silhouette that mixes
the sleekness of a coupé with
the practicality of a four-door
saloon. Van Hooydonk has
described the concept as
having the footprint of a
5 Series and space of a 7 Series
Although the car looks ultramodern,
BMW’s designers have
taken inspiration from the past
for some of its elements, such
as the kidney grille, Hofmeister
kink within the C-pillar and
L-shaped tail-lights.
L-shaped tail-lights.
To help enable a superslippery
drag coefficient of
0.18, flexible bodywork covers
the wheels. This bodywork can
also move to allow full turns of
the wheels, a design BMW calls
Alive Geometry.
This approach is employed
on the inside with parts that
can move to convey moods
and information. As with the
exterior, BMW has eschewed
traditional materials, so
instead of wood and leather,
there are more sustainable
materials, including recyclable
mono-materials
Access is via wing-style
doors that open automatically
as the driver approaches with
a smart key. To ease entry,
the steering wheel retracts
and sits next to the dashboard
when the car is parked.
Once the driver is seated, a
tap on the BMW emblem on the
steering wheel shuts the doors,
moves the steering wheel into
position and adjusts the seat to
suit the particular driver, based
on digital information stored
on the smart key
The concept also suggests
high-definition digital displays
as we know them today will
become superfluous. Instead,
the Vision Next 100 predicts
a future in which all relevant
information is projected
across the windscreen via an
oversized head-up display unit.
“We could have let the future
come to us, but instead we
wanted to imagine what might
happen,” said van Hooydonk.
“By imagining what may come,
we’re preparing for it. We want
to build cars that have emotion
beyond function. We want to be
the leaders in the digital age.”
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