Munich/Los Angeles. 2016 sees the BMW Group celebrate
its centenery – under the motto THE NEXT 100 YEARS. The BMW Group
continues to look first and foremost on the future, exploring the
question of how individual mobility could look tomorrow for the four
brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad. All four of the BMW
Group’s vision vehicles can now be seen for the first time at the
world premiere of the BMW Motorrad NEXT 100 in Los Angeles.
MINI VISION NEXT 100: “Every MINI is my
MINI”.
Today’s MINI is the perfect premium compact car
for the modern city. Digitalisation and connectivity are increasingly
changing the way we get around on a daily basis – and this change is
taking place most rapidly and noticeably in urban areas. The MINI
VISION NEXT 100 is MINI’s answer to several key questions on urban
mobility over the years ahead. In the cities of the future, will there
be space for a car which engages at an emotional level? What will
become of the “clever use of space” principle that underpins MINI? And
how can MINI respond to a world becoming ever more digitalised and interconnected?
The core philosophy behind the MINI VISION NEXT 100 is the thoughtful
use of the planet’s resources in providing personal mobility. The
motto “Every MINI is my MINI” describes a particular take on
car-sharing. In the future, fans of the brand will be able to call on
a MINI tailored to their personal requirements where ever they are,
day or night. The MINI of the future will be available 24/7, able to
pick its driver up from their desired location in a fully automated
way and will adapt itself to the driver’s individual tastes, interests
and preferences. At the heart of this concept is fully connected
digital intelligence.
Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design,
describes MINI’s vision for the future: “MINI looks to offer smart and
bespoke mobility in cities that engages all the senses. And in the
future, you might not actually have to own a vehicle to enjoy the benefits.”
Clever approaches to future mobility with MINI:
- “Digitally Mine” – where every MINI becomes my MINI.
- The “Cooperizer”: a link between the driver and digital intelligence.
- “Urban go-kart”: small, clever, nimble.
- The hallmark driving fun of a MINI will remain intact in the years ahead.
- Novel use of sustainable materials in the interior.
- Experience sharing – users become part of a MINI community.
“Digitally mine” – where every MINI becomes my
MINI.
In the future, as now, people will be attracted in
great numbers to MINI cars and the attitude to life associated with
them. But it may not actually be necessary to own a MINI to be part of
the action. The design team’s challenge: how could a MINI be widely
and instantly adaptable – making the driver feel it is their car,
tailored precisely to their own taste – available whenever and
wherever they need it? The MINI VISION NEXT 100 is wrapped in a
discreet, silver skin. The MINI designers refer to it as a “blank
canvas”. How that canvas is used varies according to the individual
user, their mood and the situations they encounter. Even the colour of
the roof and the lighting mood in the interior respond in kind. The
MINI uses projections adapted to the driver in terms of colour,
graphics and content to create a personalised experience and
customised package of on-board information.
The Cooperizer forms a connection between the driver and
digital intelligence.
The Cooperizer is the name the
MINI VISION NEXT 100 gives to the centrally positioned circular
instrument that has become such a signature feature of MINI cockpits.
In the MINI VISION NEXT 100 it illuminates like a kaleidoscope. The
colours and patterns it generates symbolise the car’s multi-faceted
digital intelligence, which allows it to select a personalised setting
for each driver, encompassing entertainment, communications and
autonomous-driving options. On the move, the driver can influence the
Cooperizer’s decision-making, as the rotary controls allow adjustments
to the interior ambience and driving mode. So the car can be adapted
to give a perfectly personalised driving experience, whether driven
conventionally or autonomously. Pressing the “Inspire Me” button
brings another special Cooperizer trick into play. Here, the MINI
checks downloaded user data to select information of interest to the
driver and provide them with potential sources of inspiration. For
example, the MINI VISION NEXT 100 might suggest the MINI set-up
configured for an artist the driver admires and whose exhibition they
have recently visited. Or it could recommend a challenging, twisting
route to the outskirts of town and switch to John Cooper Works
performance mode.
The urban go-kart – small, clever, nimble. MINI will continue
to offer the driving fun
we know and love in the future.
In the future,
driving in a MINI must still be fun, to the extent that drivers will
prefer to drive themselves – as often as possible. The mechanical
experience of speed and the feeling of nipping swiftly through twists
and turns are part of what makes a MINI a MINI. But it doesn’t stop
there. In a future world of self-driving cars, this side of motoring
may have an even more significant, even more special role. Various
aspects of the MINI VISION NEXT 100 will take the go-kart feeling to
another new level. Cleared of many controls and screens, the interior
has a pure, uncluttered look. And the glass front end opens up a
dynamic view of the road. Here, augmented reality displays show the
route or ideal driving line, heightening the driving sensation.
In addition to these dynamic elements, dreaming up clever details and
creating maximum interior space within the smallest possible footprint
are other MINI essentials. The efficiently-packaged, zero-emission
drive system and the reduced need for crash zones in the future enable
a compactness of body not so far removed from the first MINI back in
1959. The generous feeling of cabin space is enhanced by a full-width
bench seat and pedals that slide with the steering wheel to adjust
their position. The steering wheel is always there, but the option
remains, to ask the car to drive itself; perhaps there are things
you’d rather do during a journey when the driving environment is
tedious. Autonomous driving plays an important role in the MINI VISION
NEXT 100, allowing it to travel occupant-free to a charging station,
cleaning service, parking space or the next user. To switch from
driving themselves to autonomous driving, the driver simply moves the
steering wheel into the central area between themselves and the front
passenger. In the process, those on board enjoy greater freedom of
movement and getting in and out of the car in busy city centres is
that much easier. The single-section bench seat and a fullwidth
footwell, uninterrupted by a centre console, also help this, allowing
passengers to gain rapid access from both sides of the car – without
having to decide in advance where they would prefer to sit. When
dynamic driving is the order of the day, active elements within the
seat provide lateral support for the driver and front passenger. Park
the car in a tight spot, and the doors automatically open as wide as
possible within the restricted confines.
Innovative use of sustainable materials.
Making
responsible use of resources is key in the selection of materials for
the MINI VISION NEXT 100. These materials should retain their high
level of perceived quality over many years, age stylishly and offer a
special tactile experience. As digitisation increases, analogue
qualities and experiences will become more important. With the more
intensive use of a shared car, interiors will need to be much more
hard wearing. In addition to the modern materials made from recycled
plastic and aluminium in the floor area, roof lining and side panel
trim, for example, the MINI interior designers used materials less
commonly found in car cabins, such as brass, basalt and cellulose. The
wraparound carrier and information strip, with its mount for the
sliding steering wheel, and the Cooperizer with its thin brass
structure are good examples here. The designers made the storage net
behind the steering wheel from lightweight basalt, while the lower
section of the seat is trimmed in a recycled cellulose material
similar to paper. This novel use of materials included deliberately
allowing a patina to develop through use and ensuring they retain
along-lasting and sophisticated appearance. When it comes to the
natural look and feel of surfaces, the designers have embraced the
irregularities inherent in the chosen materials and processing
methods. That also applies to the seat covers in knitted Alcantara – a
robust, somewhat iridescent material. The designers have steered clear
of traditional interior materials like wood and leather altogether.
Another example of analogue design in the MINI Vision Vehicle can be
found in the wheels, whose rotation generates an “Ombro Cinema”
effect: This involves the outer surface of the wheel not moving and
only a disc behind it turning with the tyre. The even movement of a
shimmering graphic – again brass-coloured – can be observed through
openings in the outside of the wheel. The idea is for each wheel to
look like a piece of a mechanical jewellery.
Experience sharing – the user becomes part of a MINI
community.
Sharing cars, homes and goods is ever-more
common, as digitalisation, connectivity and artificial intelligence
make processes simpler and more automated. The MINI VISION NEXT 100
can bring together a community of likeminded people, with a shared
MINI lifestyle in common. Everybody benefits from everybody. And
mobility opens up inspirational experiences yet stands by its
sustainable approach and prudent use of resources.
For example, a MINI user in the future is interested in a certain
type of art and a friend gets hold of some last-minute tickets to a
preview for an exhibition they might like. The Vision Vehicle
identifies what’s involved, and coordinates and organises the whole
excursion. The drive itself becomes part of a perfectly arranged
service. MINI calls this vision of the future experience sharing.
Head of MINI Design Anders Warming sums up the most important aspects
of the car: “The MINI VISION NEXT 100 shows how MINI’s unique take on
the world could look in the future. The driving experience remains the
emotional centrepiece, with effortless and seamless services grouped
around it.”