BMW Vision Neue Klasse First Look: A New North Star for BMW
The BMW EV concept represents a holistic reset for the brand.
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Article QuickTakes:
The BMW Vision New Klasse is more than just a new design shift that will influence future BMW models. Lurking beneath that new styling is a total personality shift for the German brand toward a high-tech, completely electric future.
Sustainability is also a core element of the Vision Neue Klasse. The production version of the electric sedan, which will make its market debut in 2025, will be composed of recyclable materials and is intended to be built in a fossil fuel-free factory.
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BMW Vision Neue Klasse Concept Car: A New Styling Direction
The Vision Neue Klasse features a "shark nose" front-end design that incorporates modern interpretations of BMW's signature double headlamps and kidney grilles, the latter of which are embedded with three-dimensional LED lighting elements. Black bumpers and side sills provide contrast to the concept's Joyous Bright paint work.
In profile, the Vision Neue Klasse uses a traditional three-box design with a large greenhouse, and BMW's Hofmeister kink is present in the lower corners of the rear windows. The lower sections of the Vision Neue Klasse's side windows are embedded with E Ink elements, allowing them to function as display screens. Motorsports-inspired 21-inch rims fill the concept's wheel wells.
The rear of the Vision Neue Klasse features 3D-printed taillights that give the illusion of depth.
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Neue Klasse Brings More Tech to an Almost Button-Free Cabin
The interior of the Vision Neue Klasse features a minimalist design where screens have largely replaced physical buttons.
A backlit central screen in the shape of a parallelogram sits in the center of the concept's dash and runs the next-generation of BMW's iDrive infotainment system. The Vision Neue Klasse ushers in new iDrive functionality in the form of BMW Panoramic Vision, which projects pertinent vehicle information across the entire width of the lower windshield. BMW says drivers will be able to move information from the main touchscreen to BMW Panoramic Vision via gesture controls. A 3D head-up display is also included in the Vision Neue Klasse's tech suite.
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse offers seating for four and a glass roof that spans the length of the vehicle. Front seats are affixed with a single bracket, providing maximum legroom for rear-seat passengers.
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BMW Vision Neue Klasse Concept Car: Performance
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse will utilize the sixth generation of BMW's eDrive electric vehicle technology. Compared with the previous version of the electric architecture, BMW promises up to 30% faster charging times, 30% more range, and up to a 25% improvement in overall vehicle efficiency.
BMW also says the latest version of eDrive will use new rounded battery cells with more than 20% greater energy density than the company's previous design.
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BMW Vision Neue Klasse: Sustainability From the Start
BMW states that the Vision Neue Klasse is built with a high percentage of secondary raw materials and few material varieties, allowing for easier recycling of the vehicle at the end of its service life. The interior of the Vision Neue Klasse is totally devoid of chrome and leather in the name of cutting carbon emissions during the production process.
BMW will build the road-going version of the Vision Neue Klasse at its plant in Debrecen, Hungary, which is operated entirely without fossil fuels.
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BMW Vision Neue Klasse: What's in a Name?
Neue Klasse, or "new class" in English, was a term BMW first used in the 1960s when a lineup of sedans and eventually coupes appeared. The models marked a big shift away from high-end luxury sedans and sports cars toward more attainable, middle-ground vehicles.
It was BMW's famed 2002 sedan and two-door, introduced in 1968, that is perhaps most memorable, though all Neue Klasse models carry cache. The 2002 gained critical acclaim for its sporty handling and polished overall feel, all in a small, relatively unadorned package. As storied as the original Neue Klasse became in the pantheon of BMW history, it makes sense BMW would use Neue Klasse for what appears to be an already iconic design that seems well-positioned to bolster BMW's visual flare deeper into the 21st century.
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