While automotive startups strive to compete with luxury brands, BMW sits exactly where those upstarts would like to be in the market. That means is has the opportunity to introduce smart and EV features inside its established vehicles, the automaker can also drop impressive concept cars and ideas willy nilly. "Act like a a startup, deliver like a grown up," said Klaus Frolich member of the board of management for BMW.
Gallery: BMW Inside Future concept | 19 Photos
19
- +15
+15At the crack of dawn at CES, the German automaker took the wraps off its far-future view of the interior of its vehicles. The BMW i Inside Future concept car clearly isn't for experiencing an engine or handling. Instead it's the company's look at what the inside of a car can not just look like, but what it can mean for the next generation of customers. "It's not just about being being driven, but it's about what you experience," Frolich said.
"Here life in the car may not differ from life in the home," Frolich said. The sculpture has integrated wood and plastic and the automaker says it will have an interactive free-floating touchscreen with ultrasonic haptic feedback next to the steering wheel for control. It also employs the company's HoloActive Touch gesture system. The rear passengers would have a widescreen display that folds down and shows off their favorite movies or TV shows.
Oddly the the concept has a bookcase which we're pretty sure would empty itself when the car hits its first turn. But it is a concept car, so I guess we shouldn't be too worried about M3s with armoires hitting showrooms.