INTERVIEW
The future is a lot closer than you may think
Mark Smyth spoke to the designers behind the BMW Vision Next 100 vehicles in Los Angeles
Is the technology set to rule how we drive or be driven? "We do not want technology to take away from driving. We want technology to make people the ultimate driver." That is a theme that runs through all the concepts, particularly the Motorrad bike, which aims to ensure that the freedom of riding is retained. When BMW revealed the i8 and then subsequently put it into production, it showed what was once only possible as a concept can quickly become reality. People are therefore expecting concepts and technology to be less about the distant future and more about tomorrow. "We see this as a positive," says Van Hooydonk. "There is technological change and production methods are allowing concepts to become reality. I know the audience is impatient but I can give the emotional aspect." Critics will say that the emotional aspect is lacking in the next generation 5 Series revealed recently. "I don’t think of it as conservative," he told us. "It is sharper, leaner, meaner and more athletic....
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