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Alongside the previously-seen BMW Vision Next 100 and the Rolls-Royce 103EX, which was unveiled earlier today, MINI has completed the triumvirate of forward-looking concepts celebrating BMW's 100th birthday.
Unveiled today in London (16 June, 2016), the MINI Vision Next 100 apes its Rolls-Royce bigger brother in having no specific powertrain (but electric drive seems the most likely) and an emphasis on autonomous driving. But, this being a MINI, while the car can drive itself, it retains a steering wheel and pedals, so that the driver can take over when the road looks interesting. When the MINI is driving itself, the wheel and pedals slide to the centreline of the car, so as to create more legroom, but MINI engineers are promising that the car has been designed to be agile and fun in manual mode and that there would even be a John Cooper Works version.
Outside, the shape is recognisably that of a MINI, but the retro styling of the current car has been cleverly updated and there's a trick where the all-glass front end is a clamshell, the edges of which are shaped to resemble an original MINI front wing and bonnet. The central section of the glass has also been shaped to look like a MINI's radiator grille and headlamps.
Inside, MINI is experimenting with harder-wearing materials because it expects cars to be shared more between drivers. So instead of wood, leather and plastic, this one contains brass, basalt and cellulose. Yes, really.
At the centre of the dash, and housed in a round pod that mimics the MINI's old central speedo, is an instrument called (oh dear) the 'Cooperizer.' Tortuous name it may have but the Cooperizer is the central communications hub for the car, dealing with navigation, infotainment and more. There's also an 'Inspire Me' button that chucks out useful or trivial data about points of interest along your route, and which can even find interesting or challenging roads to inspire you to take control of the car.
Interestingly, the Vision Next could preview a move to smaller MINI models, after decades of incipient growth. The overall size of the concept is about half way between that of a current MINI hatch and a 1959 original, and MINI is hinting that the next generation of electric powertrains will allow it to package its interiors in a much more efficient way.
The car's autonomous systems have been designed to allow it to drop you off, pick you up and run chores (such as getting itself washed or charging its batteries) while you're otherwise engaged.
The most design-y bit are wheels that have a bit of drama about them - they're split into two sections, an outer section that stays still and an inner section that carries the tyre and which rolls. The idea, says MINI, is to create visual jewellery on the outside of the car.
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."