Dynamics concept BMW Vision

BMW has released a new Vision concept car, taking the torch from the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept with clear inspiration from the world of Tron.  The new BMW Vision Connected Drive Concept is yet another bold step forward for BMW concept styling, a design with a clear departure from BMW bread and butter.  The classic BMW grille and logo are present, but the rest of the design is more curvy, aggressive and downright dangerous when compared to the familiar standard.

The BMW Vision Connected Drive Concept feels like it was designed in the world of Tron Legacy, featuring inset lights between sections of the body and wrapped within the interior as well.  That interior is heavy with tech, with a dedicated visual console for the passenger and a heads up display system for the driver.  The Vision Connected Drive concept is aimed at connectivity with the driver’s mobile device, using an iPhone or an Android system as a gateway between the tech of the automobile and the user’s own suite of apps.

The earlier Vision concept, the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept, felt a bit like a pipe dream.  However, a prototype has been built and it’s looking like it’s heading toward production.  Might we see the same of the Vision Connected Drive concept?  While a few changes will likely be made to bring this one down to Earth, we have to respect BWM’s inspiration here. 

Resembling a Vision EfficientDynamics roadster, the VCD adopts BMW's "layering" design theme which attempts to break up large surfaces to give vehicles a lighter, more organic appearance. As such, the concept features a wide grille, massive air intakes, a frameless windscreen, and a transparent area in the hood that symbolizes the "driver's focus on the road ahead and on the concentration of information that is flowing in the opposite direction, towards him." Most notably, the car has electro- mechanical retracting doors which recall the Z1 and are perfectly road-legal in the retracted position.

Inside, the cabin is split into two key sections as the driver and passenger are separated by a flowing center console which eschews many of the typical controls. Furthermore, the clean styling is highlighted by a programmable instrument cluster which is augmented by a head-up display that shows key vehicle information.

As for the ConnectedDrive part, BMW envisions that your smartphone will instantly link to the vehicle as soon as you enter. This will ensure drivers have full access to all of their apps, notifications, messages and contacts. While that sounds a bit 20th century, the system also boasts an augmented reality interface which can be shown on the head-up display and used to automatically drive the car without human interaction. Per BMW's example, you'd go to a restaurant, exit the car, and the vehicle would use the internet to locate a parking garage, drive to it, and park.