Billionaires can relax. If you thought the age of the autonomous car meant you would have to buzz around in little anonymous, lookalike pods like the rest of us, Rolls-Royce is coming to your rescue.
Rolls-Royce, British super-luxury carmaker now owned by BMW of Germany, unveiled its Vision Next 100 concept car in London, the 103EX.
Rolls-Royce said it designed the car with the ideas of the “Effortless Journey,” a “Grand Sanctuary” and a “Grand Arrival.”
“The Effortless Journey is enhanced by the hallmark Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet ride’ delivered through a blend of a futuristic, powerful, zero-emission drive-train and advanced suspension that sees the vehicle almost skim across the road surface. As a V12 combustion engine is most unlikely to exist in the future, one can only surmise how this Rolls-Royce will be powered,” the company said in a statement.
That could be either battery power or fuel cell, but as the car isn’t likely to appear before the late 2040s, the engine might something completely different.
“Entering the Grand Sanctuary, our passengers step in unbowed, with consummate grace and dignity, as with the state carriages of old, taking their place on the best seat in the house. Cocooned in the futuristic but handcrafted lounge atmosphere, the coach door and clamshell canopy glide closed to envelop them in uninterrupted silence and luxury,” said Rolls-Royce.
A sense of space is accentuated by the lack of a cockpit or steering wheel.
The Grand Arrival is helped by a virtual red carpet projected onto the ground by a laser.
There is only one door, and the passengers won’t have to contort to get out. The roof will rise allowing them to stand up and walk out onto the “red carpet.” That’s good news for actresses arriving at premieres or Hollywood Oscar awards. When they arrive at their exclusive hotels, the luggage compartment opens automatically following arrival and disembarkation, presenting two Grand Tourer cases.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars explained the rationale behind the design.
“With the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, we were mindful not to dwell on the past. We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time transcend the design history of the marquee,” he said.
“In this spirit, the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 is presented – a truly revolutionary, highly authentic exploration of the future of luxury mobility. It provides a fully authentic look into the potential demands and desires of the wealthy connoisseur of the future,” said Rolls-Royce.
The VISION NEXT 100 is 19.4 feet long and 5.2 feet high. The upper section is entirely comprised of dark glass. You can’t see them, but they can see you.
Nice to know that if you become a billionaire in 2040, you can look forward to this special treatment.
By: Neil Winton (Forbes).
Photo: Inusa News.
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