Munich. In future, drivers will be able to choose
whether they wish to be driven or do the driving themselves. With the
BMW Vision M NEXT, 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 squarely on the actively engaged driver.
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. 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 spectacular 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 EASE and BOOST experience concepts.
The BMW Vision iNEXT and BMW Vision M NEXT Vision Vehicles represent
prototype versions of BMW’s future experience concepts “EASE” and
“BOOST”. EASE encompasses all the experiences during a journey when
the vehicle assumes the task of driving. Here, the vehicle is
transformed into a living space on four wheels, where the passengers
can feel safe and secure. From rest and relaxation, via talking,
interacting and enjoying in-car entertainment, all the way to maximum
concentration – the experiences on offer with the EASE concept are as
varied as the occupants’ needs. BOOST, meanwhile, stands for the
ultimate active driving experience. The EASE and BOOST concepts are
underpinned in equal measure by the building blocks for the BMW
Group’s future, comprising the innovation areas of
Autonomous driving, Connectivity,
Electrification and Services (ACES).
The Design lends these areas visual expression and
makes the underlying technology something you can engage with (D+ACES).
Exterior exudes BMW sports-car DNA.
“The BMW Vision M NEXT is a progressive hybrid sports car that makes
a very clear and confident statement, in terms of both appearance and
interaction,” says Domagoj Dukec, Vice President BMW Design. The
emotion-stirring exterior design clearly announces the BMW Vision
Vehicle’s performance potential, borrowing styling cues from both
classic and contemporary BMW sports cars in the process. The BMW
Vision M NEXT draws its inspiration from the iconic BMW Turbo and
groundbreaking BMW 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.
The actual driving experience in the BMW Vision M NEXT is every bit
as captivating as its exterior looks. 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 441 kW (600
hp) produces a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) and enables the BMW
Vision M NEXT to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 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 100 km (62 miles) – 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.
Incorporating a modern take on classic design icons: the front end.
The expressive front-end design serves up a confident and modern
interpretation of classic BMW icons. The signature BMW kidney grille
is flanked on either side by triangular elements in Thrilling Orange,
which serve to accentuate the air intakes at the sides and the
integral headlights. These elements combine with the blade-shaped air
intake below the kidney grille to create a cutting-edge racing aesthetic.
The soft outer curves of the kidney grille openings are reminiscent
of a turbine’s air intake and give the front end added dynamic impact,
while the colour gradient used for the inside of the two kidney
elements creates a sense of depth. The grille openings are each
blanked off by a transparent layer with a laser-etched, illuminated
pattern that seems to be floating inside – a highly sophisticated
touch that gives added emphasis to this section of the car.
The BMW Vision M NEXT headlights are positioned on the outer edges of
the front end, higher up than the kidney grille. Arranged one above
the other rather than side by side, their constituent elements
represent a highly distinctive interpretation of BMW’s classic
four-eyed front end. The headlights hand a debut to Laser Wire
lighting technology, whereby glass fibres coated with phosphorous are
used to produce headlight elements with a new, super-slim and
extremely precise form. All of which further underscores the Vision
Vehicle’s future-focused character.
Trailblazing dynamism: the flanks.
The low-slung, wedge-shaped sports-car silhouette of the BMW Vision M
NEXT, the reward climb of its flank lines and the diagonal splash of
contrasting orange colour endow it with dramatic forward-surging
intent, even when standing still. The black side skirts made from
recycled carbon fibre make the car look even lower on the road. The
sports-car silhouette frames a small number of crisp lines running
along the clearly sculpted surfaces. The lines of the powerfully
contoured shoulders are also used to create the effect of the iconic
Hofmeister kink, instead of incorporating it into the window graphic
in the usual BMW fashion. The design is broken up by a gill-like
aperture that narrows as it sweeps back from the window surface
towards the tail, giving the car a more elongated appearance. A second
look reveals another highlight in the form of the Air Flow. This
opening located just in front of the rear wheels is designed to
carefully channel the onrushing air towards the rear end in a way that
further improves aerodynamics.
Precisely engineered gaps in the wheels’ intricate, three-dimensional
multi-spoke design result in low weight, maximum rigidity and reduced
drag and so optimise the transfer of power to the road. The spokes’
open, three-dimensional architecture maximises cooling of the large
brake discs at the front, while inserts optimise aero efficiency at
the rear. The rear wheels on the BMW Vision M NEXT measure 22 inches
in diameter, making them one inch larger than the front wheels (21
inches) and further emphasising the car’s wedge-shaped appearance.
Low-slung, broad and extremely dynamic: the rear end.
The broad, low-slung rear end makes a stylistic statement with its
distinctly sporty tone. Its colour scheme divides the car’s sculptural
tail into two sections. The top section in Thrilling Orange creates a
visual link between the coloured areas of the flanks, further adding
to the impression of width. The area below it is made from recycled
carbon fibre and incorporates an aerodynamically optimised diffuser.
The design of the rear window takes its cue from the BMW M1. The
three-piece louvres are made from glass and emphasise the horizontal
focus of the rear-end styling.
The rear lights feature the same Laser Wire technology used for the
headlights. Their glass lenses frame the rear end in a sweeping
flourish on either side, bringing its width and sporting presence to
the fore. Inside each light unit, a single wafer-thin glass fibre
produces an abstract ECG trace of a heartbeat fashioned with pin-sharp
precision. The two-dimensional reinterpretation of the distinctive
pair of BMW roundels from the BMW Turbo and BMW M1 – a gift to BMW
aficionados – gives them the impression of floating in the rear
lights’ transparent lenses.
Focusing on the driver: the interior.
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 merges the
driver and vehicle into one. The classy, minimalist interior revolves
entirely around the actively engaged driver, both stylistically and
technologically. The interior appears as if cut from a single mould,
with functional elements such as the air vents integrated almost out
of sight. Its geometry is deliberately restrained in nature so the
driver can devote their attention entirely to the driving experience.
The seat shells form part of a seat sculpture with a flowing design.
They are upholstered in a foam material with shape memory properties
that moulds itself to, cushions and supports the body to optimum
effect. The head restraints seem to hover above both seat shells,
increasing the sense of lightness. The extremely comfortable seating
position immerses the driver in the driving experience.
Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel: the BOOST Pod.
“The entire interior is focused on the BOOST Pod. The geometry has a
deliberately low-key feel so that the driver can concentrate fully on
the driving experience,” explains Domagoj Dukec. 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. Everything therefore happens directly in
the driver’s line of sight. The driving settings can be modified on
the steering wheel, while information such as revs, road speed, energy
management, the driver’s heart rate and availability of BOOST+ mode is
spread among a total of five clusters in the Curved Glass Display
behind. BOOST+ mode can be engaged at the touch of a button to release
extra power. The car alerts the driver when the ideal moment arrives
to activate BOOST+.
Taking driver focus to the next level: focus logic.
“In the BMW Vision M NEXT, intelligent technologies help the driver
and deliver the right content at the right time. Operation is clear
and intuitive, with all information presented in the driver’s direct
field of view. This is a deliberate counterpoint to the BMW Vision
iNEXT, which focused on multimodal operation from every seat,”
continues Dukec.
The BMW Vision M NEXT therefore shows the way ahead for BMW’s fabled
driver focus. The cabin’s geometry and technology have both been
devised to help focus attention on the task of driving and prevent
distractions. To this end, the information displayed is adapted to the
current speed – based on the principles of focus logic. As the vehicle
speeds up, the information centres increasingly on driving-related
data and moves into the driver’s eye-line. It is possible to
communicate with the Intelligent Personal Assistant at all times while
driving – if drivers wish to book the visionary Valet Parking Service
for their destination, for instance. Here, a concierge is on hand when
they arrive to take the vehicle, park it and bring it back again at
the desired time. All done simply and seamlessly using the MyBMW App.
Innovative materials for a luxurious ambience and optimum
performance.
“We have designed a modern and luxurious interior with the help of
innovative materials. Whereas its geometry is clear and restrained,
individual details are showcased like top-class accessories,” says
Dukec. The pioneering mix of materials employed in the BMW Vision M
NEXT, including woven synthetic fibres, anodised titanium and painted
surfaces, has never been seen before in a vehicle in this form, which
is why it brings out the car’s character to such stunning effect. Use
of leather has been kept deliberately to a minimum, which is why it
only adorns the design details that the driver’s and passenger’s hands
touch directly, such as the steering wheel and door pull handles.
Instead, the interior is dominated by a Midnight Blue microfibre
fabric whose look and feel are akin to leather, but is also highly
distinctive. Judicious use of Thrilling Orange contrasts injects
additional sporting flair.
A particularly striking touch here is the accent line in the driver’s
area that runs forwards from the seat over the BOOST Pod, indicating
the ideal line of sight over the road. A light element in the BOOST
Pod further strengthens this line.
The metallic surfaces in Titanium Bronze have a warm, shimmering
tone, adding to the exclusive ambience in the car’s interior. Neat
design touches such as the barely visible pockets in the door and
centre console allow everyday essentials to remain securely stowed
away even when cornering at high speed. The gyroscopic cupholder is
able to compensate for strong lateral and longitudinal dynamic forces.
A glance upwards reveals both the visible roof structure made from
recycled carbon fibre and the headliner, whose tone-in-tone paint
finish with mild sheen effect blends in perfectly with the rest of the
interior’s colour scheme.
The past and future of dynamic driving.
With its enthralling blend of design and driving experience, the BMW
Vision M NEXT fuses BMW’s sporting heritage with the possibilities of
tomorrow’s world, and illustrates how the D+ACES building blocks for
the future will be able to enhance how the driver experiences a car’s dynamics.