Bucket Seat: BMW i Vision Dynamics

The Frankfurt Motorshow is always a buzz, with most of the German manufacturers using this platform to stage their greatest models and concepts, while there was smorgasbord of great cars to chose from at IAA 2017, my pick from the bunch was about the future of motoring. Yes while most manufacturers showed of their great tech in cars for present and future, with the world of motoring's immediate future looking to electricity for power, BMW lifted the covers on it's BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept. A year on from displaying their NEXT 100 vision at last years show, the i Vision gives the consumer a more realistic vision of what they can expect from the company in the coming years. 

The car is Future Mobility in a nutshell, it's an all electric, four-door Gran Coupe with a range of 600km, a top speed of over 200km/h and an acceleration of 0-100km in just four seconds. With BMW already one of the leaders in e-mobility with two models on sale worldwide in the i3 and i8 Hybrid, not forgetting the various plug hybrids offered across their range, the technology they have works and perfecting this technology and only do more good, not only for their cars but the future of motoring. Harald Kruger, Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW AG says that by 2015, BMW will be offering 25 models with an electrified drive system, of which 12 will be pure-electric. "With BMW i Vision Dynamics we are showcasing how we envisage future electric mobility between the i3 and i8: a dynamic and progressive, four-door Gran Coupe. We are therefore electrifying the heart of the BMW brand and, at the same time, elevating BMW i into a totally new dimension" - says Kruger. 

The design of the i Vision Dynamics borrows a lot from the Next 100 Vision, with tweaks to make the car more the standard of car that we have today. It's massive fused twin kidney grille design is a prominent feature of the car with even part of the bonnet lid molded to it's shape. The adaptive LED lighting is minimalistic but still offers that great character that is known to BMW design. The side profile of the car is extremely sleek, with it looking very similar to early concepts of the BMW i8. The frame-less windows also take the shape of the kidney grille. The roof of the car is an all glass panoramic roof which ties into the rear window, falling into the back with it's straight line boot lid and angled tail lights. The tiny lights and details in the design add to the progressive and elegance of the car. This car is basically what we can expect from the upcoming BMW i5, a first family sedan coming from the BMWi brand and one that would be welcomed into the market. 

Bucket Seat: Next 100

Not too long ago BMW showcased their "Vision 100" concept, it was to celebrate their 100th anniversary as well as showing the world what they had in store for the next 100 years. It was something out of the ordinary and set the automotive world in awe of what the German manufacturer had envisaged for their future. Following that, the holding company also unveiled similar concepts for their other brands they own, namely Rolls Royce and Mini. 

These concepts give us a glimpse into the future of the brands and what we can expect from them in the coming years. To explain more on how these concepts came into form, BMW Group has said it formulated six central hypotheses for individual mobility in the coming decades, based on key megatrends and future projections. 

• Mobility is becoming versatile: New forms of mobility will open up countless possibilities for people to get where they want to go. The BMW Group aims to play a part in shaping these future forms of mobility.
• Connectivity is becoming second nature: In the future, everything will be connected. The BMW Group firmly believes that digitalisation and digital intelligence are meant to serve people. That is the only way they will permanently enhance our quality of life
• Mobility is becoming tailor-made: Mobility will be increasingly flexible and tailored to individual needs. In the future, customised mobility will automatically ensure that people are able to use the best means of transport and take their preferred route to their destination. The BMW Group will offer carefully coordinated products and services to achieve this. 
• Technology is becoming human: Technologies are getting smarter. The BMW Group believes that innovations are only beneficial to humans if they are simple and user friendly. In its vision, technologies must be able to learn from and adapt to people, so that technology seems less technical and more human and familiar. 
• Energy is becoming emission-free: In the future, energy will increasingly come from renewable sources. The BMW Group has a clear vision of environmentally-compatible vehicles built using renewable energies and recycled without generating emissions. It is working towards becoming a wholly sustainable company. 
• Responsibility is becoming diverse: In the future, it will become even more important for global companies like BMW Group to take responsibility for the environment, but also for the people directly or indirectly in its sphere of activity. One aspect - concerning both the company's international workforce of more than 100 different nationalities and people connected with its various locations - sit to promote intercultural exchange and improve lives. The BMW Group already supports more than 200 environmental and social projects in over 42 countries engaging in various projects involving its associates and local communities to maximize its impact in the future.

Rolls Royce Vision Next 100 see's a futuristic self-driving car with an artificial interface called Eleanor. Something similar to Apple's Siri. Where by the occupant gives off various instructions to to her on where to go, what to do, what music you want to listen to and what temperature to set the air-conditioning on. The guy looks stunning and the door is split between a gullwing and suicide door. 

Mini's Vision Next 100 has seen the iconic car grown even bigger, there is no self driving chauffeur for this one but there is a host of gadgets, one which grabbed my attention is the personalised driving options. It senses the different drivers and changes the settings to their preferences. Which is ideally what you want if you have to share a car with someone. 

BMW Group has really gone all out and whether most of the technologies are still in development stages or just imaginations, one can be sure we will be seeing these in their cars in the not so distant future, and the future looks good!