BMW will debut a new concept car called the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
The new concept study from BMW, a two seat roadster, aims to present the automobile as a fully integrated part of the networked world, in both its technological innovations and its design, showcasing the firm's vision for in-car technology.
The interior of the new Vision ConnectedDrive car is divided into three layers - comfort, infotainment and safety. This layered design is supposed to represent the bond between driver, passengers, vehicle and the surrounding environment. Each layer will feature a complex light installation and will be individually defined by colour, rhythm, motion and texture. The path of information travelling between different parts of the vehicle can be seen through fibre optic lighting.
The first layer showcases the vehicles safety, and has a red light wrapping around the driver and coming down in the point of a cone shape on the bonnet. Represented on this is the flow of safety related information and the driver's focus on the road ahead.
The second layer, which focusses on infotainment, surrounds the safety layer and extends back to the passenger cell. Active social engagement between driver and passenger is outlined by a blue ribbon of light.
The third layer represents the interaction of the vehicle with its surroundings, and is coloured green. The emphasis of this is on the outside of the car, and it travels between two antennas located where the wing mirrors should be.
Individual components on the BMW ConnectedDrive are required to perform multiple functions, such as the headlights and rear light, which feature integrated sensors to monitor the road and traffic and feed information directly to the driver.
With its long bonnet, flowing lines, and the distinctive light show, the car gives the appearance of moving even when it is still. Sliding doors, inspired by the BMW Z1 design, disappear into the body of the vehicle and allow the new concept car to be driven with the doors open.
Showcasing the best of BMW's ConnectedDrive technologies alongside their vision for future developments the car comes with an advanced head-up display, putting a three-dimensional display of key information in direct sight line of the driver. This display allows the real view of the road to be overlaid with virtual information and highlights any hazards which are approaching.
Another interesting feature is the freely programmable instrument cluster which provides additional information with optical emphasis on the elements which the driver most wants to see.
For the first time passengers also get their own information display, which allows them to evaluate information, music or navigation details and pass information on to the driver quickly and easily.
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