A Glimpse into the future of motoring with the MINI Next 100

On Monday night I was invited along to the Roundhouse in Camden only it was not for a live gig.  This visit to the iconic music and arts venue was to witness the unveiling of a future MINI as part of the BMW Group’s future-gazing exhibition. Futuristic “Vision Vehicles” from BMW and Rolls Royce were also exhibited.

As we took our seats we were transported to the year 2030, which may only be 14 years into the future, but MINI is predicting that by then the relationship that we have with our cars and the way we drive will change quite considerably.  The new Vision Vehicle offers a hyper-personalised driving experience, which adapts to your mood, style and individual personality.

The MINI designers predict a new car-sharing programme which ensures that no matter which physical MINI you drive, no matter where on the globe you may be, it will still be personal to you. It will know when you approach the vehicle by reading your biometric data. Very clever indeed!

The exterior features a ‘smart skin’ that will greet you as you approach and can change colour. This will certainly make things easier when decided on a new car to buy – we won’t have to debate about colours or paint finish anymore. Inside the car, things are much more stripped back with the removal of the traditional dash in favour of a brass frame which hosts an ‘inspire me’ button that can give you ideas of places to go depending on the time that you have to kill on your personality.

Although the basic shape of the Next 100 MINI is true to the brand’s heritage, the front, in particular, has massively changed, with the removal of the traditional engine in favour of some flat cell batteries. The whole front is opened up allowing a clearer view of the road as well, a little more like in a go-kart.

Only another 14 years to go to see if the new Vision Vehicle from MINI ever sees the light of day! I for one hope it or at least something similar does.

The BMW Group Future Experience, showcasing MINI’s Vision Vehicle is taking place at the Roundhouse in London until Sunday 26th of June. Visit mininext100.co.uk or @MINIUK for more information. #NEXT100 #MINI

This post has been produced in partnership with MINI