BMW's Vision Next 100 Concept Is A 100th Birthday Present To Itself

Aside from the familiar twin kidney front grille, it’s hard to even tell this concept is a BMW, and perhaps that’s partly the point. Designed as a sedan, the Vision Next 100 clearly has the four-door coupe look, measuring in at 193 inches in length, which is roughly the size of the current 5 Series but sits 4 inches lower to the ground. The body is constructed out of a combination of carbon fiber and plastic.

With environmental factors in mind, BMW also utilized recycled fabrics for the interior and even the residue from carbon fiber production as an additional building material. Cool. Note the concept lacks B-pillars, making cabin access incredibly easy. BMW envisions the future will involve driver-vehicle interactions which, in this case, is managed by "Alive Geometry." Basically, this tech involves some 800 moving triangles built into the instrument panel and some areas of the side panels. Using intuitive signals, the system will alert the driver for any dangerous situations. What’s more, the Vision Next 100 features two driving modes, Boost and Ease.

By setting Ease, the car will do all of the driving for you (there’s your autonomous tech) while Boost allows you to control the rig. There’s even a "Companion," an intelligent digital partner that connects the driver and car. That system "progressively learns to offer the right kind of support to transform the driver in the Ultimate Driver." The Vision Next 100 Concept is the first of four new BMW Group concepts to celebrate its 100th birthday.