BMW looks to the future of sitting in cars
The company's "i Inside Future sculpture" at CES is all about the interior experience.
While automotive startups strive to compete with luxury brands, BMW sits exactly where those upstarts would like to be. That means it has the opportunity to introduce smart features inside already-established vehicles. "Act like a startup, deliver like a grownup," said Klaus Frolich, member of BMW's board of management, at an event at CES in Las Vegas today.
At the crack of dawn here at the show, 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 the latest in engine technology or handling. Instead, it's the company giving us a peek at how the car's interior experience has the potential to evolve. "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 added. 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 to show off their favorite movies or TV shows.
Oddly, the car also has a bookcase, which I'm pretty sure would empty itself when the car hits its first turn. But then again, this is a concept we're talking about, so I guess we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for M3s with armoires to hit showrooms anytime soon.
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