BMW Vision ConnectedDrive.

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive.

The Vision ConnectedDrive is a two-seater sports car concept built by BMW is one of a mobile component in a networked world, both in design as well as by virtue of extensive technological innovations. BMW demonstrates with this vehicle the unique potential that can be realised by both the current and future developments in BMW ConnectedDrive, optimising comfort, safety and the enjoyment of infotainment in the vehicle.

In the framework of BMW EfficientDynamics, the purely electric drive has adopted a key role on the road to CO2-free mobility.The front grille maintains the BMW style grille, and the front and rear lighting monitor the surrounding traffic conditions around the car.The use of unconventional lighting is integrated into the overall design, from the bonnet area and around the seats to the rear boot lid.

The layered surfaces are enhanced with fiber-optic lighting effects that highlight the different functions and sections of the car.The windshield acts as the medium for a three-dimensional head-up display, and additional information is shown on the monitor behind the steering wheel. 

The first layer focuses on safety, with a red light wrapping around the driver and coming together in a cone on the bonnet. This represents 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 passenger cell, focusing on infotainment. This layer promotes active social exchange between the driver and passenger and is outlined by the blue ribbon of light. The final layer, defined by the green light flow, 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.

But underneath the layering, the concept seems fairly normal. It’s a traditional roadster, with a long hood, front wheels pushed far toward the corners, and an angry-looking front end that hews closely to BMW's current corporate look.

The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics comes with a 3-cylinder diesel engine coupled to 'hybrid synchronous' electric motor at the front and another electric motor on the rear axle. Total output is 328 PS (241 kW / 323 bhp) and the 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes just 4.8 seconds.  Average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle is 3.76 liters/100 kilometers, equal to 62.6 mpg, and the CO2 emission rating is 99 grams per kilometer. CO2 emission management is even more outstanding when driving in the all-electric mode after charging the battery from a plug-in source: Taking all emissions in the generation of electricity into account, as prescribed by the EU formula, the car’s emission rating is just 50 grams per kilometer. 

BMW has put an unofficial price tag on the upcoming Vision EfficientDynamics of no more than £150,000 (€176,624 / $235,000).