It’s going to be quite some time before we see the production car version of the BMW Vision iNEXT, as it’s not going into production until 2021. However, when it finally does get built, the final product could look a lot like the concept. Sorry, BMW fans.
According to Top Gear, who recently spoke with BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk, the BMW Vision iNEXT will transfer a lot of its concept styling into production.
“It’s a vision car so it shows all the ideas that we have and that we’re working on,” said van Hooydonk. “The production car is a little far away at the moment, 2021 is what we’re aiming for. By and large you will certainly recognize this concept car in the production vehicle.”
Oh boy. Fans of the Bavarian brand don’t like the Vision iNEXT much. It’s not that it’s a bad looking car (okay, those beaver-teeth grilles are a bit obnoxious) but it’s very underwhelming. Especially so when you consider what BMW’s competition has been putting out, like the Audi e-tron GT and the Jaguar I-Pace. If you don’t like the iNEXT, though, it seems as if you’re in for some bad news.
“The tail end of that car will be very aerodynamic,” Hooydonk told TG. “The glasshouse tapers strongly to the rear. You need some vertical trailing off edges and the tail lamp plays a role in that. Nearly all our tail lamps do it; we always make sure there’s a trailing edge where the air can come off cleanly.”
In fairness, though, it seems as if that wild design is sort of the point. According to Hooydonk, the iNEXT, as with every other BMW i car, is designed to be different and forward thinking.
“That’s exactly what BMW i was designed to do — to first cater to the early adopter and to catch their attention, and in order to catch their attention we had to do something unexpected. But of course, we will add more i products to the line-up. Electric mobility will also enter the core brand. We will launch a lot of plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles under the main BMW brand.”
So we’ll likely see a lot of more BMW-like electric and hybrid cars from the normal BMW brand but more radical, futuristic looking cars from BMW i. Just ditch the beaver teeth.
[Source: Top Gear]