On Thursday, Rolls-Royce revealed a self-driving car with all the bells and whistles … including “red carpet” lighting that rolls out for the passengers.
The 103EX concept car is one of the displays at the celebrations for BMW’s 100th anniversary, and is designed not to be available soon, but to show what luxury vehicles might be like in 20 or 30 years. The squared-off fenders and a reflective strip across the entire top surface give it a retro-futuristic look. Inside, there’s a couch and a screen – no steering wheel.
But all of this is really up to the owner/designer. Part of Rolls Royce’s concept includes the ability of the buyer to customize the car from the ground up, starting with the skateboard chassis and going from there.
The real “driver” is an autonomous system called Eleanor, designed to embody the aesthetic of Rolls Royce’s luxury brand as well as to provide the car’s actual autonomy. It takes care of navigation and driving, and can also be customized to remember favorite routes and locations.
This is all a concept for the hyper-rich to dream of at the moment; we’ll see whether this is the shape of the luxury car of the future. Uber is also testing cars that don’t need drivers.
The 103EX will be on display at the BMW Group Future Experience in London from June 18 – 26.
