BMW to unveil Vision ConnectedDrive concept

14 Feb 2011

BMW is set to unveil its Vision ConnectedDrive concept car at the Geneva Motor Show. The concept - a two-seat roadster - may look striking but this car is less about performance and handling, instead it's designed to highlight BMW's future technology.

The styling is truly stunning and with its long wheelbase, set back seating position and long bonnet it manages to comined sharp angles at the front with flowing lines. There are sliding doors, inspired by those on the BMW Z1, which disappear into the body of the car and mean the Vision ConnectedDrive can be driven with the doors open.

But the Vision ConnectedDrive is primarily designed as a car that is a fully integrated part of the networked world in both its design and technological innovations. It includes an advanced Head-Up Display that takes the technology currently available in production BMWs even further, placing a three-dimensional display of key information in the direct sight line of the driver, eliminating the need for the driver's eyes to refocus. This three-dimensional display allows the real view to be overlaid with virtual information, highlighting hazards.

It also comes with with a programmable instrument cluster to provide the driver with additional information, while for the first time passengers get their own information display, out of the driver's field of vision, allowing them to look at driving information, music or navigation details and pass them onto the driver with a simple touch of a finger.

The design of the concept is broken up into three layers, to highlight the connection between the driver, passenger, vehicle and the surrounding environment. The interior is divided into three layers - comfort, infotainment and safety - and each layer is defined by a colour, rhythm, motion and texture while transparent surfaces show the path taken by the information which can be seen via fibre optic lighting.

The first layer focuses on safety, with a red light wrapping around the driver and coming together in a cone on the bonnet. This shows the flow of safety-specific information and the driver's focus on the road ahead. The second layer encompasses the safety layer and extends to the interior, focusing on infotainment, outlined by the blue ribbon of light.

The final layer, defined by the green light, concentrates on the interaction of the vehicle with the world around it. The emphasis is on the outside of the vehicle, starting and ending with the two antennas, in place of wing mirrors, providing the data link to the surrounding environment.

Full coverage of the Geneva Motor Show 2011