With the i Vision Dee introduced last week at CES in Las Vegas, BMW is previewing a new design language that is set to premiere in 2025 with an EV based on the Neue Klasse platform. Inside and out, the concept has a deliberately simplified design and a fresh, corporate front grille. In an interview with BMWBLOGthe design boss of the Bavarian brand announced the kidney will continue to grow and more diversification is planned.
Adrian van Hooydonk says the front grille will be tailored to each vehicle to better differentiate the models. When asked if the company regrets the current design in light of the resulting M3/M4 controversy, the BMW Group Design Director said:
“We know that people will talk because of course we know when we make changes. We also know that getting people talking is not always bad. What is bad is when people talk but don’t buy. But they talk and buy, so you are still on the side right.”
During the same interview, Adrian van Hooydonk said future BMWs would have fewer conventional buttons. However, he said a decision to reduce costs had not been taken because the money was being invested elsewhere, so there was no financial gain. In addition, reducing the complexity of the interior helps the company in its quest to increase the recyclability of its vehicles.
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While many of the features showcased in the i Vision Dee are purely conceptual, the show car from CES 2023 features a next-generation head-up display. Additionally, Adrian van Hooydonk hints at the color-changing paint scheme as more than just a wild idea: “So it’s like an instant – you dream it, you visualize it, you build it… nobody wants to see a concept that maybe in ten years will influence my life again. It has to happen sooner.”
BMW intends to follow up the CSL 3.0 with an additional coachbuilding project, and the design chief has not ruled out doing so based on an electric car. Van Hooydonk says the ultra-exclusive coupe is a dream come true for him, and with the M division celebrating 50th birthday in 2022, it’s the perfect time to make it happen. Part of the same BMW Group, Rolls-Royce has also been working on bespoke products such as the Boat Tail and Sweptail.
