Latest news with #VisionDrivingExperience
The Sun
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
BMW Group showcases future innovations
ON its journey toward the Neue Klasse era, the BMW Group presented the innovations of its next-generation vehicles at Auto Shanghai 2025. 'Innovative strength, a pioneering spirit, and sheer driving pleasure - these traits are deeply rooted in BMW's DNA,' said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. 'With the Neue Klasse, our customers experience them on an entirely new level: a more intuitive user interface, even more progressive design, and a driving experience that is more precise and dynamic than ever. By the end of this year, we will put the mobility of the future on the road.' At the heart of BMW's presentation were two key innovations: the BMW Panoramic iDrive smart display and operating system, and the lightning-fast Heart of Joy central computer. BMW introduced the Panoramic iDrive in a version developed specifically for the Chinese market. In collaboration with local technology partners, BMW tailored its Operating System X to Chinese users, offering exclusive digital functions available only in China. The Panoramic Vision display projected content across the full width of the windscreen, creating an entirely new interactive experience. Approximately 70% of the software in the Chinese version consisted of locally developed and adapted code, reflecting BMW's commitment to its 'China for China' strategy. Exclusive features included an AI-powered BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, developed through collaboration with Chinese tech giant Alibaba. Over the course of the year, BMW planned to further enhance this system with 'AI Reasoning by Deepseek,' enabling seamless integration between the vehicle and the outside world. BMW also debuted the Heart of Joy central computer, capable of processing information ten times faster than previous systems, achieving millisecond-level latency. It was responsible for driving dynamics such as propulsion, braking, charging, recuperation, and partial steering functions. BMW unveiled the Heart of Joy inside the BMW Vision Driving Experience, a high-performance test vehicle developed as a 'rolling laboratory.' This one-off machine generated up to 1.2 tonnes of downforce and 3G of lateral forces, levels comparable to Formula 1 cars. The Vision Driving Experience showcased an innovative luminescent paintwork, which recharged in daylight and glowed in the dark with colours ranging from neon yellow to pink gradients, depending on ambient light and UV stimulation - highlighting BMW's creative and technological edge. Although the Vision Driving Experience was not intended for production, the Heart of Joy system would power all Neue Klasse all-electric BMW models starting with the launch of the iX3 from the new Debrecen plant in Hungary later this year. A China-specific version, developed by BMW's Shanghai design team, would follow in 2026, produced at BMW's Shenyang plant. The MINI brand also made a strong appearance at Auto Shanghai 2025. The highlight included the debut of the new John Cooper Works model generation. Paying tribute to MINI's illustrious motorsport history, a classic Mini that competed in the Monte Carlo Rally and the MINI John Cooper Works Pro - winner of last year's Nürburgring 24-hour race - was displayed. Completing MINI's lineup were the new MINI Cooper Convertible, which celebrated its market debut in China, alongside the MINI Cooper 3 Door, MINI Cooper 5 Door, and the MINI Aceman.
NZ Autocar
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
BMW says driving pleasure will survive the autonomous revolution
BMW has made it clear the 'joy of driving' will remain a core value in its vehicles, even if they self-drive some of the time. Speaking at the Shanghai motor show, BMW's head of product, Bernd Körber, emphasised that future models will embrace advanced driver assistance. But they will continue to deliver engaging experiences behind the wheel. The Bavarian brand showcased its Vision Driving Experience (VDE) prototype. It is a quad-motor super-saloon based on the Vision Neue Klasse concept. While it is not going into production, plenty of its tech will turn up in the electric M3. BMW calls it 'the fastest test bench in the world', boasting 18,000 of torque, 1200kg of downforce and lateral forces of up to 3g. Evidently 98 per cent of braking operations can be achieved using recuperation. The VDE surprised onlookers in Shanghai with a run up a 55-degree ramp. Körber said that even as automation becomes mainstream, BMW will remain loyal to its brand DNA. 'While everyone is looking towards automation, why do we focus on driving? Because for BMW, it's core to who we are,' he explained. Körber argued that as cars take over more commuting duties, people will choose to drive for pleasure. Driving engagement, he said, will be even more important. 'In boring situations like city traffic and commuting, people will want the car to drive itself. But when they decide to drive for fun, they'll want a car that delivers,' he added. Körber drew parallels to China's growing trend of leisure motorcycling. There riding is seen increasingly as recreation rather than pure transport. The 'Heart of Joy' system, BMW's new power and dynamics management unit showcased in the VDE, is central to this strategy. It promises sharper, more responsive handling across BMW's upcoming electric range. BMW's design chief, Adrian van Hooydonk, reinforced this vision, stating that even highly autonomous models will leave control firmly in the customer's hands. 'We want our customers to decide when they drive or when the car drives for them,' he said. 'Our new Heart of Joy system will take handling to the next level.' The first production model featuring this new tech will be the next-generation BMW iX3, due for official unveiling at the Munich motor show in September. In an industry increasingly obsessed with turning cars into rolling lounges, BMW's Shanghai presentation served as a reminder that for some brands, emotional connection still matters. Körber summed it up: 'The worst thing we could do is follow every trend and lose our identity. That would not be BMW anymore.' BMW's stance is different and its future products still take aim at driving enthusiasts. While the industry rushes headlong towards autonomous driving, not all companies are embracing it fully.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Electric BMW 3-Series Will Pack a Supercomputer Called 'Heart of Joy'
The BMW Vision Driving Experience is the latest concept to preview the upcoming Neue Klasse EVs, one of which will be an electric variant of the next-generation 3-series sedan. The concept's bodywork and interior are an evolution of the , with sharp lighting and a full-width screen on the dashboard beneath the windshield. The concept features the "Heart of Joy," a so-called "superbrain" that will control the driving dynamics functions in the Neue Klasse vehicles. A new BMW 3-series is imminent. Previewed by the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse concept, the new iteration of BMW's long-running sports sedan will come in both traditional gas-powered and electric forms, with the latter expected to adopt the i3 moniker. Now, BMW has revealed a new concept, the Vision Driving Experience, to hint at some of the systems that will be found beneath the sheetmetal of the electric Neue Klasse model and which promise to preserve BMW's famed driving dynamics. BMW insists that the Vision Driving Experience itself is not bound for production, although the body looks like an evolution of the Vision Neue Klasse concept and is not too far off from the spy photos of the next-generation 3-series. There are a few differences, however. The integrated headlight and grille element is thinner than the concept and there's a large opening in the lower front bumper, presumably to cool the batteries. Despite the similarities, BMW instead calls the concept a "rolling test rig for drivetrain and driving dynamics management technology." The concept houses what BMW calls the "Heart of Joy," an over-the-top nickname for the control unit that handles the drivetrain, braking, charging, regeneration, and steering functions. The Heart of Joy will be found in every electric Neue Klasse model, BMW says, which presumably includes the upcoming iX3 electric SUV as well. The Heart of Joy is one of four central units in the car's electronics architecture and marks the first time that drivetrain and driving dynamics functions have been combined into a singular unit. Not only does BMW claim that the system will make driving more enjoyable, but the automaker also says it will lead to better efficiency and range. Developed entirely by BMW, the Heart of Joy works in conjunction with the brand's Dynamic Performance Control software to manage driving functions. The control unit reportedly processes information 10 times faster than the company's previous units, with BMW claiming that the response is nearly immediate, with latencies in the milliseconds. The integrated braking and energy recuperation control allow drivers to avoid applying the conventional friction brakes in most scenarios, BMW says, instead relying on regeneration. This is claimed to increase efficiency by up to 25 percent. The company also says that stopping and restarting is seamless, regardless of whether the car is in D or B drive modes, using active cruise control, or using the Auto Hold function. BMW is using the concept to experiment with color-changing wheels to demonstrate how the Heart of Joy system is working, showing green for acceleration, blue for energy recuperation, and orange for friction braking. Although BMW didn't specify how this illumination occurs, the company has experimented in the past with color-changing body panels. The color-shifting i Vision Dee concept used "E Ink," the same technology found on the screens of e-readers, for a chameleon-like effect. The Heart of Joy will be one of four "superbrains" that will control future BMWs. It will be accompanied by three other computer systems that control things such as automated driving, climate control, vehicle access, and interior and exterior lighting. BMW also showed photos of the Vision Driving Experience's interior, previewing what to expect from the 3-series EV. A large, unusually shaped hexagonal screen sits in the center of the dashboard. A thin display stretches across the width of the car, providing info such as time and speed. A similar setup was showcased in the Vision Neue Klasse, Vision Neue Klasse X concept, and the Panoramic iDrive system shown at CES 2025. BMW has confirmed the first Neue Klasse model will start production later this year at the company's plant in Debrecen, Hungary. The new 3-series—which will utilize this Neue Klasse platform and pack the Heart of Joy control unit—should debut sometime in the next several months. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
