[Jason]

From BMW:

The BMW Vision Next 100 previews the ideas that BMW has for the next years. The technology will change and vehicles will become intelligent. Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design, gives some insights and explains the ideas behind the concept. This film is one part of our three part series about BMW concept cars.

[KGB_123_99]

Why would a car need to change its body shape (ie. wheel arch width)?

[Pr0metheus]

Originally Posted by KGB_123_99

Why would a car need to change its body shape (ie. wheel arch width)?

Maybe to increase downforce at high speed.

Looks like it's suppose to have those "special" wheels like the Audi did in iRobot (wheels operated by magnets) so maybe you could imagine something to do with changing the ride height or distance between left/right wheels for specific driving circumstances.

You could always ask the people putting widebody kits on their cars for a different perspective.

[dch37]

or how about just to turn it's wheels

[fbsm]

Some of those features are very interesting...particularly providing the driver with additional environmental information.....car around the corner travelling at high speed towards an intersection you're approaching is a case I could imagine

These features interest me......so long as they are options and can be totally disabled by the driver at will

[Nar]

This looks like the future of the i8 just with 4 doors.
I'm excited to see new technology but I wonder how much of this concept will actual become reality.

[WillSkill]

Very interesting concept and design

[MalibuBimmer]

Thank God I will be dead.

[ORIGIN M.]

Lets bring in the new.

The car is expected in 2019.

Originally Posted by MalibuBimmer

Thank God I will be dead.

[Questofthetune]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

Lets bring in the new.

The car is expected in 2019.

Well maybe he's terminal

[MalibuBimmer]

Originally Posted by red-sauerkraut

Lets bring in the new.

The car is expected in 2019.

The abomination in van Hooydonk's video? Looks like a next century car to me.

[JorgenM]

Road tests will show that changing body shape mixed with dirt is a bad combination. How would one be able to clean that

[fbsm]

Unless it can also fly and is capable of intercontinental travel then that "next 100" car would fall far short of where we SHOULD be in 100 years given rate of change in technology

Tell me I can fly it to the moon for a weekend or carve up some back roads with the same vehicle and I'm in...

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by Pr0metheus

Maybe to increase downforce at high speed.

Looks like it's suppose to have those "special" wheels like the Audi did in iRobot (wheels operated by magnets) so maybe you could imagine something to do with changing the ride height or distance between left/right wheels for specific driving circumstances.

You could always ask the people putting widebody kits on their cars for a different perspective.

If they wanted to increase downforce at high speeds, there are far more effecienct ways to do that. While increasing the wheel arches *might* add *some* downforce, it would be largely academic in magnitude and any benefits would be latgely washed out by the significant increas in drag.

[Pr0metheus]

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

If they wanted to increase downforce at high speeds, there are far more effecienct ways to do that. While increasing the wheel arches *might* add *some* downforce, it would be largely academic in magnitude and any benefits would be latgely washed out by the significant increas in drag.

True.

It was the first thing that came to mind if I assumed the wheel was a ball instead of a disc.

Care to speculate on that fender "swelling" since you feel it's likely not need for added downforce or to turn the wheels?

[raysspl]

These are all great exercises in design & engineering

[SCOTT26]

Vision Next 100 is the template for iNext. A futuristic looking sedan with the absolute pinnacle of technology and design.

[yousefnjr]

^^Except nobody is going to buy it because it looks like ass