In celebration of its 100 years as car manufacturer, German company BMW is gearing up for its next innovation. The company plans to deliver the "most intelligent" car of the future. The prototype was unveiled to the press Monday.
BMW named the new car Vision Next 100 and it is a self-driving and emission-free vehicle. BMW Chief Executive Harald Krüger wished that the car would be available immediately, however, it's predicted to be developed "in the next 20 to 30 years," per Walls Street Journal.
While still in the planning stages, the most intelligent car is set to come with AI core that will be represented with a ball of light called the "Companion" to indicate that it's on self-driving mode. This feature may also do tasks and offer advice to its owner, per The Verge.
The BMW Vision Next 100 is likely to include two driving modes: Boost and Ease. Boost will allow the driver to follow suggested driving scenarios based on "alive Geometry," much like driving on manual mode. On the other hand, Ease will allow the driver and passenger to face each other, while the steering wheel is retracted and the self-driving mode is enabled, per Wired.
"It is a highly customized vehicle that is perfectly tailored to suit the driver's changing needs," the automaker stated in its press release. "Our objective with the BMW Vision Next 100 was to develop a future scenario that people would engage with," said BMW's design head Adrian van Hooydonk.
Take a look at the car of the future:
The BMW Vision Next 100 prototype concept will be presented at the Centenary Event in Munich this March and the company will soon embark on a symbolic tour in China, U.K. and the United States to affirm their plans.
In addition to celebrating BMW's 100 years, the company will also mount an exhibit at the BMW Museum, where 100 car masterpieces from past to present will be showcased.
