BMW Group Celebrates 100 Years: The Vision Next 100

Introduction

2016 sees the BMW Group celebrate its anniversary under the motto THE NEXT 100 YEARS. “At the BMW Group, we are always on a quest for the best solution. It’s part of our DNA,” said Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at the Centenary Event in Munich on Monday. “It’s also the spirit of our collaborations, a recurring theme that permeates our corporate and leadership culture.”

What Lies Ahead for BMW?

So what lies ahead for BMW? To answer this question, BMW mentioned current generation technology when the world is on the verge of realizing automated driving. In the not-too-distant future, the majority of cars will probably be completely self-driving and travel the streets of cities inhabited by far more people than today.

The BMW Vision Next 100

Here’s presenting the BMW Vision Next 100 – a sports-sedan designed for the future because BMW believes in sports-sedans as its core strength. However, this car can switch into different characters at the power of a switch.

Driver-Vehicle Interactions

In other words, driver-vehicle interactions are managed by Alive Geometry; Boost and Ease modes offer a choice of driver-controlled or vehicle-controlled operations, and the interior of the vehicle changes to suit the mode of travel.

Boost Mode

In Boost, the entire vehicle focuses on the driver, offering the support needed to maximize the driving experience. This includes:

• Indicating the ideal driving line
• Steering point
• Speed guidance

Ease Mode

Ease mode sees the interior transform:

• The steering wheel and center console retract
• Headrests turn to the side
• Seats and door trim merge to form a single unit

This setup allows the driver and front-seat passenger to turn towards each other.

Conclusion

“If, as a designer, you are able to imagine something, there’s a good chance it could one day become reality,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. “So our objective with the BMW VISION NEXT 100 was to develop a future scenario that people would engage with.”