If there are any BMW drivers out there who feel their $141,000 760LI just isn’t big, luxurious or sleek enough, they should take note of the automaker’s latest concept car.
At this week’s Beijing Auto Show, BMW presented its Vision Future Luxury Concept to the public, rumored to be the basis for the upcoming ultra-premium 9-Series model.
What the production incarnation of the Vision Future Luxury Concept looks like is unknown, but BMW board member Ian Robertson told Reuters this week that there may be a niche for $200,000-to-$400,000 sedans. That’s Bentley and Rolls-Royce territory, and a bold move upmarket for BMW.
The Vision Future Luxury Concept, with the aggressive forward-raked shark nose along with BMW’s signature kidney grille, is the company’s newest derivation of the design theme first presented last year with the Pininfarina V-12 Gran Lusso Coupe. The front fascia is flanked by four of the company’s state-of-the-art laser headlights.
The BMW’s super-sleek side profile hides its flush-mounted suicide doors that open to reveal the concept’s airy interior. According to the automaker, the Vision Future Luxury’s carbon-fiber construction allows the car to maintain a high level of structural rigidity while affording the passengers an open and spacious cockpit.
The Vision Future Luxury Concept comes packed with just about every technological feature in BMW’s arsenal. In addition to the laser headlights, the concept’s interior will feature the company’s “three-dimensional display” technology that will blend the car’s multiple-display screen into the car’s interior accents, allowing the passengers to feel a greater sense of continuity in dash.
As interesting as the rest of the off the concept may be, the most fascinating piece of technology may be in its back seats. BMW’s Touch Command Tablet allows back-seat passengers to access the Internet and a host of multimedia, as well as the car’s navigation and communication features. The tablet will allow passengers to bark out directions to the driver by text message, taking the backseat driver into the digital age.
Here’s a closer look at the new BMW concept:
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