Bentley Asked Students To Design The Luxury Automobile Of The Future

"What will British luxury mean in 2050?"

Want to know what the Bentley Continental GT, Bentayga, or Mulsanne might look like thirty years from now? Better ask the students. That's what Bentley did with its latest project, collaborating with second-year pupils in the Intelligent Mobility program at the Royal College of Art. And these are some of the designs they came up with.

“We wanted ideas and concepts that could potentially lead us in new and interesting directions,” noted Stefan Sielaff, Bentley's design director and an RCA alum. “These second-year students are the ones who will be designing the cars of the future – the taste makers in training, if you will.”

From among 24 projects submitted, Bentley's design team and the RCA lecturers selected four, and offered guidance in their completion. One student, Irene Chiu, focused on “Luxury Soundscapes” to envision what the high-end automobile of the future might sound like after internal-combustion engines become a thing of the past, filtering out undesirable noises and leaving only “pleasurable bioacoustics” to permeate the cabin space.

In “Material Humanity,” Kate NamGoong predicted that vehicle occupants will want a more direct connection to the mechanical workings of the automobile – much like they would with a wristwatch – whether they're driving the vehicle or being driven in (or by) it.

“Stratospheric Grand Touring” by Jack Watson melds aircraft design with that of the automobiles that Bentley has produced over the course of its 100-year history. And with “Elegant Autonomy,” Enuji Choi conceptualized the city car of 2050, and how British notions of elegance and etiquette will translate to cars in the future.

“How do you make tomorrow’s personal journey an emotional experience, as evolving culture, disruptive technology and personal desires change tomorrow’s car?” asked Dr. Chris Thorpe, Senior Tutor in Intelligent Mobility at the RCA. “Our students tackled that question when Bentley asked them to look at automotive luxury over the next 30 years.”

BMW M Boss Tells Us Future EVs Will Not Be Totally Silent

A solution can always be found.

There’s no question the future of vehicles will be with batteries. Internal combustion will be a thing of the past for all automakers, including high performance. Welcome to the new reality. But what about some internal combustion engine traits, specifically sound? After all, electric vehicles are, for the most part, silent. We sat down with BMW M boss Frank van Meel at Geneva last week and this subject came up during our discussion. “Although I can’t give you an exact an answer (to solve the sound issue), there will be an answer to that question, van Meel said.

“There have been so many changes regarding engine sound, with the change from naturally aspirated to turbocharged where you lose the air intake. Suddenly you had backfire and things like that. It just changed. And now these cars (EVs) have a completely different sound than current cars.” But like all new technologies, there are refinement levels involved that simply take some time. Take oil burners, for example. “Diesel cars first sounded like tractors and then they were improved and later you have Le Mans racing cars running on diesel that sounded pretty nice. Le Mans diesel later came into series production cars. So you can see there are always solutions.”

Because of M’s performance car status within the industry, it will need to be a leader in figuring out how to make battery-powered performance be pleasing to our ears. “Sometimes it takes time to find an authentic, natural sound and decide this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for,” van Meel added. “If you look at ‘Stars Wars’ pod races, that was completely artificial, and yet all the kids who watch the movie say that’s exactly how a pod should sound. That’s accepted. So with electric cars there will be sound also. I don’t know exactly what it will sound like, but we will find a solution as always. There will be artificial, or enhanced sounds. They will come to the mind as completely natural one day.”

Van Meel also told us at Frankfurt last September there was no question batteries will replace combustion engines one day, so it sounds like (no pun intended) the necessary groundwork is already underway both in practice and, just as important, the mindset. Shifting to EVs also requires new and creative ways of doing things we’re very familiar with, like engine noise.

Bentley Asked Students To Design The Luxury Automobile Of The Future

"What will British luxury mean in 2050?"

Want to know what the Bentley Continental GT, Bentayga, or Mulsanne might look like thirty years from now? Better ask the students. That's what Bentley did with its latest project, collaborating with second-year pupils in the Intelligent Mobility program at the Royal College of Art. And these are some of the designs they came up with.

“We wanted ideas and concepts that could potentially lead us in new and interesting directions,” noted Stefan Sielaff, Bentley's design director and an RCA alum. “These second-year students are the ones who will be designing the cars of the future – the taste makers in training, if you will.”

From among 24 projects submitted, Bentley's design team and the RCA lecturers selected four, and offered guidance in their completion. One student, Irene Chiu, focused on “Luxury Soundscapes” to envision what the high-end automobile of the future might sound like after internal-combustion engines become a thing of the past, filtering out undesirable noises and leaving only “pleasurable bioacoustics” to permeate the cabin space.

In “Material Humanity,” Kate NamGoong predicted that vehicle occupants will want a more direct connection to the mechanical workings of the automobile – much like they would with a wristwatch – whether they're driving the vehicle or being driven in (or by) it.

“Stratospheric Grand Touring” by Jack Watson melds aircraft design with that of the automobiles that Bentley has produced over the course of its 100-year history. And with “Elegant Autonomy,” Enuji Choi conceptualized the city car of 2050, and how British notions of elegance and etiquette will translate to cars in the future.

“How do you make tomorrow’s personal journey an emotional experience, as evolving culture, disruptive technology and personal desires change tomorrow’s car?” asked Dr. Chris Thorpe, Senior Tutor in Intelligent Mobility at the RCA. “Our students tackled that question when Bentley asked them to look at automotive luxury over the next 30 years.”

Bentley Asked Students To Design The Luxury Automobile Of The Future

"What will British luxury mean in 2050?"

Want to know what the Bentley Continental GT, Bentayga, or Mulsanne might look like thirty years from now? Better ask the students. That's what Bentley did with its latest project, collaborating with second-year pupils in the Intelligent Mobility program at the Royal College of Art. And these are some of the designs they came up with.

“We wanted ideas and concepts that could potentially lead us in new and interesting directions,” noted Stefan Sielaff, Bentley's design director and an RCA alum. “These second-year students are the ones who will be designing the cars of the future – the taste makers in training, if you will.”

From among 24 projects submitted, Bentley's design team and the RCA lecturers selected four, and offered guidance in their completion. One student, Irene Chiu, focused on “Luxury Soundscapes” to envision what the high-end automobile of the future might sound like after internal-combustion engines become a thing of the past, filtering out undesirable noises and leaving only “pleasurable bioacoustics” to permeate the cabin space.

In “Material Humanity,” Kate NamGoong predicted that vehicle occupants will want a more direct connection to the mechanical workings of the automobile – much like they would with a wristwatch – whether they're driving the vehicle or being driven in (or by) it.

“Stratospheric Grand Touring” by Jack Watson melds aircraft design with that of the automobiles that Bentley has produced over the course of its 100-year history. And with “Elegant Autonomy,” Enuji Choi conceptualized the city car of 2050, and how British notions of elegance and etiquette will translate to cars in the future.

“How do you make tomorrow’s personal journey an emotional experience, as evolving culture, disruptive technology and personal desires change tomorrow’s car?” asked Dr. Chris Thorpe, Senior Tutor in Intelligent Mobility at the RCA. “Our students tackled that question when Bentley asked them to look at automotive luxury over the next 30 years.”

Audi Won't Build The Future TT Nobody Wanted

The TT's body style will continue how it should be.

Earlier this month we learned that Audi was considering a four-door version of its TT coupe when the time comes for a redesign. Audi’s logic was that the coupe and roadster segment is quickly dying, and only a few brands are finding success. It may not be worth Audi’s development time and money any longer.

But the TT is still a recognizable name, so Audi toyed with the idea of turning it into a more practical four-door coupe. According to CarAdvice, that won’t be happening. The Australian publication recently spoke to Peter Oberndorfer, Audi’s head of communications, who confirmed the four-door coupe idea is no longer.

Now, some of you may recall back in 2014 when Audi seriously considered an entire “TT family”, so to speak, consisting of a coupe, sedan and even a crossover-ish type of vehicle. That idea originated from now former Audi technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg, who was ousted following the revelations of Dieselgate.

“Actually we had the idea of a TT ‘family’, so to speak,” Oberndorfer said. “Not so much anymore. I think the TT is an icon, and to do a family (car) out of that is quite difficult. And especially in these times where we have to concentrate more and more, because we have to do gasoline and diesels on the one side, and electrification on the other side.”

The guy brings up some good points here, the main one being the TT always has been and should always be two-doors. “So you have to concentrate more and more and think about what you can do and what you can afford. So we’re quite happy with one TT at the moment," he added. But what does Audi have to say regarding that four-door TT rumor? “Where the recent stories came from, I don’t know. I don’t know about a four-door TT,” Oberndorfer said.

BMW Looks To The Future With Upcoming i4

It will join four an ever-growing range of EVs when it arrives in 2021.

The much-awaited 3 Series was the main event at this year's Paris Motor Show but somehow we got the feeling that it was the beginning of the end for the traditional gas-powered sedan segment.

The new 3 showcased some impressive tech and the hybrid 330e is a big step up from the current model, but behind the scenes, BMW is working on a major EV offensive that Chairman Harald Krüger confirmed will include the i4 in 2021.

This model will become the fifth fully electric core offering from the Bavarian manufacturer, the first being the i3 which has just been given a bigger battery pack. The Mini Electric is due next year followed by the iX3 SUV in 2020. Both the range-topping iNext and i4 sedan will make their entrance in 2021 and it doesn’t end there.

By 2025, BMW plans to have 25 electrified models in total, 12 of which will be fully-electric.

With regards to the i4, Krüger remained tight-lipped about any specific details but this model originated from the i Vision Dynamics concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. That vehicle had a sub-3-second 0-60 mph time and a range of up to 373 miles. Battery capacities will range between 60kWh and 120kWh for these next-gen EVs so that sort of range is well within reach.

Size wise, the i4 should be in line with the current 3 and 4 series models and will be the more affordable option as opposed to the flagship iNext EV. Perhaps the inclusion of a classic sedan body style EV in the upcoming range is what is needed to ensure that this segment continues to flourish.

BMW M Boss Tells Us Future EVs Will Not Be Totally Silent

A solution can always be found.

There’s no question the future of vehicles will be with batteries. Internal combustion will be a thing of the past for all automakers, including high performance. Welcome to the new reality. But what about some internal combustion engine traits, specifically sound? After all, electric vehicles are, for the most part, silent. We sat down with BMW M boss Frank van Meel at Geneva last week and this subject came up during our discussion. “Although I can’t give you an exact an answer (to solve the sound issue), there will be an answer to that question, van Meel said.

“There have been so many changes regarding engine sound, with the change from naturally aspirated to turbocharged where you lose the air intake. Suddenly you had backfire and things like that. It just changed. And now these cars (EVs) have a completely different sound than current cars.” But like all new technologies, there are refinement levels involved that simply take some time. Take oil burners, for example. “Diesel cars first sounded like tractors and then they were improved and later you have Le Mans racing cars running on diesel that sounded pretty nice. Le Mans diesel later came into series production cars. So you can see there are always solutions.”

Because of M’s performance car status within the industry, it will need to be a leader in figuring out how to make battery-powered performance be pleasing to our ears. “Sometimes it takes time to find an authentic, natural sound and decide this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for,” van Meel added. “If you look at ‘Stars Wars’ pod races, that was completely artificial, and yet all the kids who watch the movie say that’s exactly how a pod should sound. That’s accepted. So with electric cars there will be sound also. I don’t know exactly what it will sound like, but we will find a solution as always. There will be artificial, or enhanced sounds. They will come to the mind as completely natural one day.”

Van Meel also told us at Frankfurt last September there was no question batteries will replace combustion engines one day, so it sounds like (no pun intended) the necessary groundwork is already underway both in practice and, just as important, the mindset. Shifting to EVs also requires new and creative ways of doing things we’re very familiar with, like engine noise.

Future Toyota Sports Cars Won’t Take As Long To Develop As The New Supra

Time to get things moving along here.

In January 2014, Toyota revealed its absolutely stunning FT-1 concept at the Detroit Auto Show. It immediately spurred talk of a reborn Supra and exactly five years later at the same show the production version will finally be unveiled. But five years is a really long time even for a vehicle whose platform was jointly developed with the BMW. The new BMW Z4 didn’t appear in concept form until over a year ago at Pebble Beach and the production car debuted this past August.

So if BMW can move things along at a decent pace, why can’t Toyota? Top Gear spoke with the Japanese automaker’s European CEO, Dr. Johan van Zyl, in Paris last week and asked him that very question.

“We started from scratch, right from the beginning,” Zyl said. “The new Supra is not a changed product, it’s a completely new product. The outcome is going to be very exciting.” Which is great and we’re very excited, but again, why the half a decade wait? “I think one of the things that’s driving us is how to be more agile (as a brand), and how to shorten these lead times,” he added. “In the future, we think we will be able to reduce some of the development time. But not just that: in Europe, we’re focusing on model-based design and development. But of course, it takes a certain amount of time to make a good quality car. And of course, (the Supra) was a joint venture.”

Toyota President Akio Toyoda, as we’ve long known, issued a directive several years ago to build more emotional cars and move away from plain vanilla. Of course, that takes some time to make happen. The right engineers and designers need to be hired. Managers also need to fully understand and appreciate why emotion is vital in today’s car industry. Take the 86, for example. It’s been a success for Toyota's image but its sales have never been stellar. Will there be a successor? “For the GT86, it would have to be developed with Subaru”, van Zyl said. “It depends on the product and the circumstances. Some we might go alone, some we do in joint venture when it suits us.”

And that, everyone, is exactly the right mentality. Yes, the 86 and Supra both had development partners, but this doesn’t always have to be the case going forward. For example, there was some recent talk about a revived Celica or MR2. If this turns out to be true, here’s hoping we won’t have to wait ten years to see it happen.

BMW Vision iNext Previews Future Flagship Electric SUV

The production model will arrive in 2021 as BMW's first Level 3 autonomous vehicle.

After being shown to the press on a Boeing 777, the futuristic BMW Vision iNext concept has made its public debut at the 2018 LA Auto Show, previewing “the future of personal mobility.” Essentially, it previews BMW’s upcoming fully electric flagship SUV that will be loaded with autonomous and connected technology. BMW says the Vision iNEXT “represents a building block for the future of the BMW Group, encompassing technology, design and new ways of thinking that are set to filter through across the company and its brands.”

BMW’s i design language is clearly visible on the Vision iNext with its striking lines and sculpted surfaces. Accentuating the striking design is a Liquid Greyrose Copper paint finish, which gradually changes in shade from warm copper to dark rose. At the front is a modern take on the classic BMW four-eyed front end, with slender headlights, cameras replacing the exterior mirrors, and a windshield that merges seamlessly into a large panoramic roof. Like the iX3 concept, there’s also a gigantic kidney grille containing sensors for the autonomous system. At the back are slim rear lights and a racing-inspired illuminated diffuser that enhances the car’s aerodynamics.

The electric powertrain comes with front- and rear-mounted motors along with a battery tray under the floor. BMW claims the Vision iNext will do the 0-62mph sprint in about four seconds and offer a driving range of 380 miles. The production iNext will also be BMW’s first Level 3 autonomous car.

As a result, the interior is more like a living room than a traditional cabin, with a minimalist design that mixes wood, fabric and metal with. BMW calls this concept ShyTech - the idea is to keep technologies out of sight in the background and make them deployable only when required to give the cabin a more homely feel. The front seats are divided by a table-style console, while the rear bench can fit up to four passengers. The BMW iNEXT production model will roll off the assembly line at BMW’s plant in Dingolfing, Germany, in 2021.

BMW Looks To The Future With Upcoming i4

It will join four an ever-growing range of EVs when it arrives in 2021.

The much-awaited 3 Series was the main event at this year's Paris Motor Show but somehow we got the feeling that it was the beginning of the end for the traditional gas-powered sedan segment.

The new 3 showcased some impressive tech and the hybrid 330e is a big step up from the current model, but behind the scenes, BMW is working on a major EV offensive that Chairman Harald Krüger confirmed will include the i4 in 2021.

This model will become the fifth fully electric core offering from the Bavarian manufacturer, the first being the i3 which has just been given a bigger battery pack. The Mini Electric is due next year followed by the iX3 SUV in 2020. Both the range-topping iNext and i4 sedan will make their entrance in 2021 and it doesn’t end there.

By 2025, BMW plans to have 25 electrified models in total, 12 of which will be fully-electric.

With regards to the i4, Krüger remained tight-lipped about any specific details but this model originated from the i Vision Dynamics concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. That vehicle had a sub-3-second 0-60 mph time and a range of up to 373 miles. Battery capacities will range between 60kWh and 120kWh for these next-gen EVs so that sort of range is well within reach.

Size wise, the i4 should be in line with the current 3 and 4 series models and will be the more affordable option as opposed to the flagship iNext EV. Perhaps the inclusion of a classic sedan body style EV in the upcoming range is what is needed to ensure that this segment continues to flourish.