BMW has been on quite a roll, showcasing some of their most jaw-droppingly futuristic concepts. Only last week we saw a simply stunning rendition of the future as interpreted by Rolls Royce. This time it’s MINI’s turn, with the MINI Vision 100 concept car. The reason why the MINI concept is such a big deal is because it approaches automobiles and automobile ownership in a radically different way. Behind the futuristic exterior lies a well crafted philosophy that talks about a future where multiple people own one car. That way the car doesn’t sit in the garage or a car-park for 80% of the day. The cars are autonomous, which allows them to be their own Ubers, so to speak. A buyer can also choose to exclusively own a vehicle.
The car design captures the sensibilities of MINI, but all the focus goes to the circular dashboard, visible through the front of the car too. The dashboard is a visual representation of the car’s AI that boasts of its impeccable driving experience. All other intelligent services are laid out around this dashboard. Since the car belongs to different owners, the option of customizing your drive lies available by means of adapting automotive graphics. Each owner selects a custom ‘paint’ job for their ride, and the graphics on the car change from owner to owner. My personal favorite is the way the circular headlights have been retained. While the circular LED strips act as a symbolic element that is characteristic of MINI’s designs, the actual headlights are placed much higher, in the form of a strip that extends and forms a suave looking rear view mirror on each side!
Designer: BMW
