BMW Group Unveils Mini and Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 Concepts +VIDEO

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor

LONDON - June 16, 2016: The BMW Group kicked off its Centenary celebrations on March 7 in Munich with the BMW Vision Next 100. Since BMW is spreading out its ‘Next 100 Years’ events over its four major markets, the futuristic concept car took the stage at the Chinese auto show in Beijing.

                              • SEE ALSO: BMW Group: The Next 100 Years

Today, it was in the heart of London where two more concepts were presented, while Los Angeles will be hosting the fourth part in October, when BMW Motorrad will be presenting a stunning concept for a future motorbike.

MINI Next 100

Back to London, to the famous Roundhouse – indeed the theater where artists such as Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan performed in concert. Today it was not about songs, but about future music for the two British brands of the Group: Mini and Rolls-Royce. Indeed the UK is not only a major market for the BMW Group, but also a home base for production. The company has facilities in Oxford, Swindon, Hams Hall and Goodwood; and sources 1.2 billion British Pounds of goods and services from UK suppliers annually, supporting directly and indirectly nearly 50 thousand UK jobs.

MINI Next 100

The Mini Vision Next 100 represents a look into the future where ‘Every Mini is My Mini’ will be the slogan. The idea is to use resources for personal mobility, for car-sharing and for personalization from access to the car, the preferred settings, picking up drivers autonomously from wherever the are and adjusting the appearance of the car. For instance if you are in a sunny mood, you can have the color of the roof change to yellow. Or, as Mini says it: Customized mobility with the Mini Vision Next 100 builds on connected digital intelligence.

Rolls-Royce Next 100

The Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 takes luxury to a new level. The interior will be a private ‘Grand Sanctuary’ with a virtual assistant called Eleanor, after the famous hood ornament. She drives the vehicle and fulfills the owner’s wishes during the journey.

Rolls-Royce Next 100

The nearly 20 feet long concept is an extreme design, very aerodynamic, but with some features, that we may see in the not too far future. Think of the side-hinged roof that allows the passengers to stand up before stepping out of the car onto the red carpet. Or the luggage compartment in the front ‘fender’.

Well, there is a lot to talk about both Next 100 concepts and I will do so in the upcoming days. Please stay tuned!