BMW Vision Future Luxury – 9 Series imminent?

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Well, incredulous as the reports may have been, they were right – there will be a BMW 9 Series. Well, officially, the car shown at Auto China in Beijing today is called the BMW Vision Future Luxury, but anyone who says this concept isn’t presaging a production model Munich is working on to take on the extended-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class are kidding themselves.

The styling treads on familiar BMW ground, but in a more upright and regal way. The bodywork is laid over a very long wheelbase and short overhangs to create classic front-engined, rear wheel drive proportions, accentuated by the powerful rear haunches.

There are shades of last year’s 7 Series-based Pininfarina Gran Lusso coupé concept in the slim laser headlights, the oversized double kidney grille, the low, sloping roofline, the thin, broad L-shaped tail lights (now featuring a series of L-shaped OLED panels) and the Liquid Platinum Bronze paintwork. Carbon fibre featured on the front air deflectors and the strips on the door sills hint at the car’s lightweight construction.

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As with the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Ghost, the Vision Future Luxury features coach doors, this time without full B-pillar – just a small, slightly odd top-mounted half-pillar that stops at the waistline. This is possible because the monocoque – which features carbon fibre and aluminium in its construction – utilises the seat frames as load-bearing structures, connected to the door sills and centre console.

The interior showcases BMW’s vision of its future connectivity and infotainment systems, with three screens surrounding the driver. The left display shows vehicle data, the one ahead of the driver shows the speedometer and rev counter as well as contextual supplementary data, while the right display shows additional infotainment information.

Also on display is the Vision Head Up Display, which augments the driver’s view with information such as the speed limit as well as traffic light phasing, as well as highlighting certain objects such as buildings, traffic signs and road hazards. The front passenger gets their own display directly ahead of them, controlled by the touch-sensitive iDrive controller, which enables them to use applications such as the Luxury Concierge service without distracting the driver.

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BMW is clearly trying to make carbon desirable to luxury car buyers – the exposed material shows up everywhere inside, forming the base of the layered interior. Laid on top are the load-bearing aluminium structures and the lime wood and brown aniline leather trim, which were then “pared down to the essentials”, supposedly cutting down on weight. The seats and lower interior have been upholstered in white leather, and the contrast of the darker and lighter materials promote a sense of warmth and spaciousness.

The rear quarters are particularly luxurious, with a pair of large, sculpted bucket seats, a retractable table and the wood-lined backs of the front seats lending a whiff of private jet about it. Passengers rest their feet in deep-pile pure silk carpet, while their eyes rest on the rear seat displays and the Rear Seat Touch Control Tablet on the rear centre console, which allow them to access BMW’s ConnectedDrive services.

As mentioned above, the BMW Vision Future Luxury concept will almost certainly lead to a 9 Series flagship, which will sit alongside the statelier Ghost in the BMW Group portfolio and will be built on the company’s new modular architecture utilising steel, aluminium and carbon fibre to shave weight. The platform will first be used on the next-generation 7 Series (codenamed G11) and will then trickle down to the rest of BMW and Rolls-Royce’s rear-biased vehicles.

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Jonathan Lee

After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.

 

Comments

  • sudonano (Member) on Apr 20, 2014 at 8:14 pm

    Personally, i feel that on the outside, the Gran Lusso looked nicer.

    Though this has a nice interior…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
    • sutrak on Apr 21, 2014 at 9:35 am

      nevermind the car. it’s those girls working on the car..the one in black i want. one night and she’ll suck me all dried up kau kau. i wonder is she really bmw employee or just model for the photo shoot.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • sutrak on Apr 21, 2014 at 9:36 am

      this one. http://paultan.org/2014/04/20/bmw-vision-future-luxury/p90146939-highres/

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • AVH (Member) on Apr 20, 2014 at 8:15 pm

    [-wears Rugby helmet and body armor-]
    I dont like the front design of the car and I think it borderlines ugly, there! I said it, Come at meh BMW FANBOIS!

    The Kidney grills is just too big and with eyes like that it really looks like a pig, a squinting one. And is a shame because I really love everything else on the car; The snake-skin rear lights and sie grill and most of all keeping with what I consider is BMW’s forte , the nice clean side profile and balanced(and sexy) body proportion. The interior is also a gem. Flowing wood and minimalistic touch, something right out of a zen garden.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 9
    • holofanboi on Apr 20, 2014 at 11:37 pm

      Pretty much this. Its odd that the interior looks so vastly superior to the exterior. A territory Mercedes usually excel at when it comes to lixury.

      *Closes helmet face plate, mounts horse and readies 8 foot lance*

      YES I AM A BMW FANBOI!

      Die you heretic!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
  • Why this bmw use the small ‘chinese eye’ headlamp and taillight? Hahaha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 5
  • Poontangpie on Apr 20, 2014 at 11:13 pm

    Seriously damn ugly. When will BMW learn that to make their kidney grille look more imposing all they can do is make it wider. It should never become two giant bloody square.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3
  • Fugly on Apr 21, 2014 at 9:45 am

    If this previews the next 7 series styling BMW has failed once again

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • absolutely stunning ,definitely a winner . sure beat s-class

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • niterunner99 on Apr 21, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    It’s a nice car for sure…but parking will be a problem! Too Long!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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