BMW presents the Vision ConnectedDrive

You’d be forgiven for getting a little confused over the nomenclature and purpose of BMW’s recent concept vehicles – it all started with BMW Efficient Dynamics, which is the long-term programme to productionise BMW’s energy efficiency improvements within the cars it sells in the showroom, delivering more performance whilst using less fuel.

Then there’s BMW ConnectedDrive, which focuses on the connectivity of vehicle systems with the outside environment to achieve greater synergy between functions such as satnav and traffic control systems, or helping you find the most picturesque routes in the area.

You will also have heard about the Vision EfficientDynamics, which is the project name for BMW’s sexy-looking ActiveHybrid sports concept car which uses a three-cylinder common-rail turbodiesel engine combined with an electric motor on each axle. This has been confirmed for production and will move the game on for high-performance sportscars, competing against Audi’s R8 e-Tron and Porsche’s 918 Spyder.

So, hopefully that preamble will provide a little more context to BMW’s announcement this morning as it revealed the Vision ConnectedDrive, which is designed to showcase current and future methods of mobile networking in a specifically driver-focused way. The design and technology of the roadster concept are all aimed at making the vehicle an integral part of a networked world, enhancing driving pleasure and reflecting our modern lifestyles with our use of social networking and personalised music and entertainment devices.

Comfort, safety and the infotainment in the Vision ConnectedDrive roadster can be precisely tailored to suit the individual requirements of both the driver and passenger, which initially sounds like a major distraction in what should be first and foremost a ‘car’, but we’re told it’s smarter (and more useful) than we’d expect and designed to optimise the significant time we spend in cars these days.

More news will surface during BMW’s presentation at Geneva next month, but in the meantime we’ve got more than a dozen images of the stunning Vision ConnectedDrive roadster (below).

Also on show at Geneva will be the production version of BMW’s 1-series based ActiveE, which will be BMW’s first ever CO2-free model when it is made available for customer use. Other models on show will include the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Touring Edition, the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TwinPower Turbo X1 xDrive28i, the European premiere of the 1 Series M Coupe, the new BMW X3 with M Sports Package, the new 5-seater X6, sport-stripe accessories for the 1 Series Coupe and a showcase to celebrate 25 years of BMW All-Wheel-Drive Expertise.

Photo Gallery