By Greg Kable of AutoWeek
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BMW's Vision ConnectedDrive, a radical concept the automaker will show in Geneva on March 1, will showcase a flamboyant new design language and advanced technologies set to make their production debut in BMW's future range-topping hybrid sports car due in 2013.
The Vision ConnectedDrive, a two-seat roadster, serves as a rolling test bed for new ideas on design, electrically assisted driveline architecture and programmable information displays, including a radical new three-dimensional driver interface. The technologies will also be on the smaller Megacity electric-car sibling.
Bing: BMW's Vision ConnectedDrive
Design
The Vision ConnectedDrive will have round headlamps and traditional L-shaped tail lamps, giving clear hints to how its design boss, Adrian van Hooydonk, intends to move the look of future BMW production models forward.
"There are certain features which have been chosen because they reflect the look you'll see on new models already in the pipeline," said a source involved in the new concept's development. "And you won't have to wait too long before they become reality."
The exaggerated proportions, with a long probing hood and short tail, are classic BMW, reflecting the silhouette first established on the iconic 507. Meanwhile, the shark-nose front end, with a forward-leaning kidney grille and headlamps hidden underneath the leading edge of the hood, has been inspired by the 3.0CSi.
Mirroring the approach taken with the earlier Vision EfficientDynamics concept shown in 2009, BMW's design team also provided the Vision ConnectedDrive with taut surfacing treatment and so-called layered surface elements. Van Hooydonk explains: "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."
Read: BMW EfficientDynamics
The cabin is mounted well back in a lengthy wheelbase with short overhangs. There's a one-piece driver's seat extending up to form an integral part of the dashboard, as well as a more sparsely arranged passenger seat. The driving position is encapsulated with a high-rising center console separating the left-hand side of the cabin from the right, hinting at a more driver-centric layout for future BMW models. Rear-facing cameras on antennas replace traditional mirrors, designed to provide a high-speed mobile Internet connection.
Added drama is provided by a frameless windscreen flowing up from the hood to provide basic protection from the elements. There also are two prominent domes behind the seats extending back over the trunk lid. An extension of the side bodywork, they also act as a spoiler for downforce at speed.
The high doors don't have hinges. Instead, inspired by the Z1 produced between 1989 and 1991, the doors automatically drop into the bodywork when the door is opened, enabling entry over a high sill.
An integral part of the Vision ConnectedDrive's design is the liberal use of LED (light-emitting diode) and optic-fiber technology. As well as featuring in the headlamps and tail lamps, BMW's team also designed three streams of light wending their way through the bodywork and the cabin, providing it with a distinctive nighttime graphic. Each stream features a different color: red indicates safety, blue is for infotainment and green is for comfort.
Read: BMW Brings Back 4-Bangers
Technology
As its name suggests, the Vision ConnectedDrive carries a host of never-before-revealed technology solutions BMW is working on for a more streamlined transfer of information to the driver. This begins with the headlamps and tail lamps, each fitted with sensors to assist in monitoring the traffic situation. The sensors are part of a new vehicle-to-vehicle system that allows the Vision ConnectedDrive to communicate with other cars by way of onboard WLAN, providing the potential for advanced warning of dangers such as traffic jams, icy roads or lane-blocking breakdowns.
A three-dimensional head-up display is at the center of BMW's next-generation information system. While providing basic information on the speed of the car, speed limit and commands for navigation, it can also give additional details about the route, such as where side streets lead to, and incoming text messages, as well as providing real-time information on traffic conditions within a prescribed route.
The head-up display works with a programmable instrument cluster, allowing the driver to tailor the amount of information on the display. The passenger can also call up the navigation, entertainment and communication systems as well as access the Internet for additional information, such as a destination address, and then forward details on to the driver.
Watch Video: BMW X6 M
Drive System
No specific details on the drive system have been released, but BMW officials we contacted suggest there are plans to eventually provide it with the same gas-electric hybrid system as the Vision EfficientDynamics.
"Time constraints leading up to Geneva mean we've constructed the Vision ConnectedDrive without a proper mechanical base. It's the same process we used with the Vision EfficientDynamics, which was originally constructed as a static model and then engineered to accept a diesel-electric hybrid system."
The Vision EfficientDynamics we drove last year runs a combination of two electric motors, one up front producing the equivalent of 109 hp and a smaller one at the rear with 52 hp along with a 160-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter, three-cylinder common-rail diesel.
All three can operate alone or in combination. Drive is either via the front, rear or all four wheels, depending on what motor and/or engine combination is in use. BMW claims a 0-to-62-mph time for its hybrid supercar of 4.8 seconds and a limited top speed of 155 mph, as well as combined consumption of more than 75 mpg, sufficient for a range of more than 400 miles.