BMW brings Vision ConnectedDrive concept to Geneva

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show BMW will be presenting its newest two-seater sports car concept, the Vision ConnectedDrive. The study vehicle will bring to Geneva a new design language and advanced technologies that will be part of the brand’s future range-topping hybrid sports car that should reach the market in 2013.

With the Vision ConnectedDrive BMW is testing new ideas on design electrically assisted driveline architecture and programmable information displays, including a new three-dimensional driver interface. These technologies that are being tested with this new concept will also feature on the Megacity electric-car.

Giving a glimpse of how future BMW production models might look like, design boss, Adrian van Hooydonk gave the Vision ConnectedDrive round headlamps and traditional L-shaped tail lamps.

The looks of the Vision ConnectDrive have been inspired in former BMW cars. While the long hood and short tail have been part of the brand’s philosophy since the iconic 507, the -nose front end, with a forward-leaning kidney grille and headlamps hidden underneath the leading edge of the hood, were inspired on the 3.0CSi.

Like the Vision EfficientDynamics concept shown in 2009, the Vision ConnectedDrive also uses the so-called layered surface elements.

“The layering principle requires that individual components take on a number of tasks. By working with different layers, organic radii and surfaces, the layering concept breaks up large volumes,” explains Van Hooydonk.

The cabin on the Vision EfficientDynamics has been placed well back in a lengthy wheelbase with short overhangs. The driving seat is surrounded by a high-rising center console which separates the left-hand side of the cabin from the right, which can indicate a future layout in BMW models that is more centered in drivers. The traditional mirrors are replaced by Rear-facing cameras on antennas, which have been designed to provide a high-speed mobile Internet connection.

To add a little bit of drama to the concept car, the design team added a frameless windscreen rises from the hood, which provides basic protection from the elements. Two domes have also been added over the trunk lid.

Inspired by the Z1, the high doors have no hinges. Instead, they automatically drop into the bodywork when the door is opened, enabling entry over a high sill.

The use of LED has been liberalized on the Vision ConnectedDrive and is an integral part of its design. Besides the headlamps and tail lamps, BMW design team has included three streams of light that travels along the bodywork and the cabin. Each stream has different color with red indicating, safety, blue infotainment and green comfort.

No information has been released on the drive system that will be featuring on the Vision ConnectedDrive, but still there is a possibility that it will use the same gas-electric hybrid system as the Vision EfficientDynamics.