BMW has decided to drop the BMW Vision M NEXT, a future hybrid supercar project, as it focuses its resources on catching up in electric mobility and autonomous driving.
MUNICH: EASE or BOOST? In future, drivers of the BMW Vision M NEXT will be able to choose whether they wish to be driven or do the driving themselves.
With the concept car, the BMW Group is revealing its take on how driving pleasure might look in future for those who enjoy taking the wheel themselves.
It offers a foretaste of the BMW M brand’s electrified future by placing the focus on the actively engaged driver. BMW said intelligent technologies on board provide comprehensive yet carefully targeted assistance to turn them into the ultimate driver.
Hosting the exclusive world premiere of the BMW Vision M NEXT is the new #NEXTGen infotainment platform at BMW Welt here.
This standalone event concentrating on personal mobility solutions “made by the BMW Group” adds another regular fixture to the calendar of car shows / technology & future-focused trade events around the world which the company already attends. The group’s latest technological advances in the fields of design, autonomous driving, connectivity, electrification and services will be showcased here, alongside world premieres such as that of the BMW Vision M NEXT.
“The BMW Vision M NEXT provides a glimpse into the future of sporty driving,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “Where the BMW Vision iNEXT illustrated how autonomous driving is set to transform life on board our vehicles, the BMW Vision M NEXT demonstrates how state-of-the-art technology can also make the experience of driving yourself purer and more emotionally engaging. In both models, the focus is firmly on the people inside. Design and technology make the ‘EASE’ and ‘BOOST’ experiences more natural and more intense.”
The BMW Vision iNEXT and BMW Vision M NEXT Vision Vehicles represent prototype versions of BMW’s future experience concepts “EASE” and “BOOST”.
In EASE mode, the car drives itself, transforming the cabin into a living space on four wheels. BOOST is where the human driver decides he wants to drive. The Power PHEV drive system in offers the choice between electric all-wheel drive and pure rear-wheel drive, with either all-electric propulsion or the power of a turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. System output of 600hp produces a top speed of 300kph and enables the BMW Vision M NEXT to sprint from 0 to 100kph in just three seconds.
There is also a BOOST+ mode that puts extra power on tap at the push of a button. The maximum range when driving in all-electric mode is 100km – more than enough to complete the majority of journeys purely on electric power. This means the BMW Vision M NEXT is a sports car that would also be suitable for use in city centres where zero-emissions zones may come into force in the future.
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The BMW Vision M NEXT draws inspiration from the i8 plug-in hybrid and adopts a future-focused interpretation of design elements such as the low-slung, wedge-shaped silhouette, gullwing doors and striking colour scheme. The unmistakable sports-car proportions are composed of surfaces characterised by clarity and pared-down styling. The front and rear ends are finished in the matt-neon shade Thrilling Orange, producing a vivid contrast against the exterior’s otherwise silk-matt Cast Silver metallic paintwork. This use of colour blocking gives the Vision Vehicle an added air of modernity and emphasises its inherent dynamism.
Facial recognition technology allows the car to unlock automatically as the driver approaches. Pressing the touch sensor on the gullwing doors prompts them to swing open, revealing a cabin that is designed to be classy and minimalist.
Taking pride of place in the interior, the BOOST Pod forms the interface between driver and vehicle. It brings together all the control options and information across three distinct visual tiers in the driver’s direct field of view. The first plane is formed by the horizontally arranged steering wheel featuring two small displays. Following this in the driver’s line of sight is a Curved Glass Display, a new addition whose transparent surface stretches around the steering wheel like a visor. The full-surface Augmented Reality Head-Up Display in the windscreen constitutes the third plane.
