Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 Concept
Driverless grand luxury for futuristic Rolls-Royce concept
By Shahzad Sheikh
Take a look at this – what a sensational looking machine. Like something out of a sci-fi movie – upto the windscreen it definitely has the imposing classic elegance of a Roller.
Click below to watch the video
Not so sure about the rear, although its certainly sleek and dramatic, though perhaps not quite as in-synch with the bluff and blunt front end. Love the dramatic side-hinged opening roof and the suicide (coach) doors. And it seems pretty spacious inside – for TWO people. The big question and concern though: where does the driver sit. For that matter – where are the damn car controls?!
Revealed today in London and codenamed 103EX (in line with previous Rolls concept cars) the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 is ‘the future of luxury mobility’ geared towards providing a ‘Grand Sanctuary’ and a ‘Grand Arrival’.
There’s a really long press release with these pictures that just goes on and on about luxury and sophistication and what its customers want. Most of which seem to think they’re super-glamourous, unbelievably good-looking, very very important indeed, and need to be isolated and hidden away from the grimy masses at large.
Essentially this car is designed for the likes of you and me to just gawp at it as it glides past, and stay out of its way, because the driving is being down – of course – by an invisible chauffeur. So much for ‘Home James’. Yep the future ‘Best Car in the World’ will not need a driver, but will be fully autonomous, with not even a steering wheel or brake pedal offered.
Or to put it another way – the ‘Flying Lady’ modelled on Eleanor Thornton becomes your virtual assistant and driver. This artificial intelligence not only gets you where you want to go, but will advise and guide when it comes to itineraries and options on where to go etc. So from now on it will be ‘Home Ellie’!
How does it run? Sheer voodoo it seems as the release says ‘a V12 combustion engine is most unlikely to exist in the future’ so the suggestion is it will have electric or some other alternative fuel technology.
Admittedly I do like the design of this possible future Rolls-Royce, but I really would rather they put traditional drivers controls in there. At the very least as an option for those descendents of ours that will be filthy fortunate but still like to take the helm themselves.
I do feel sorry for James though.
Tell us what you think of the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 below in the comments.