The new BMW i Vision Dee concept sports colour-changing technology, a windscreen-wide head-up display and what the firm bills as a “classic 3-box sedan design”…

BMW has revealed its latest concept car at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas, with a firm focus on all things digital. Meet the BMW i Vision Dee, which can not only alter its exterior colour at the touch of a button but also boasts a new head-up display stretching the full width of the windscreen.

Still, what immediately struck us was the concept’s noticeably pared-down design language, which stands in stark contrast to the somewhat more divisive styling of today’s BMW models. Interestingly, the Munich-based firm says it deliberately simplified the show car’s exterior design in order to focus attention on the digital experience.

That said, BMW points out the “classic 3-box sedan design” still forms the core of the German brand and here incorporates new takes on traditional styling elements such as the kidney grille, twin circular headlights and even the famous Hofmeister kink. Equal parts retro and futuristic, if you ask us. The company has said nothing about the concept’s powertrain, but we’re guessing it’s fully electric.

Being a concept car, there’s plenty of wacky tech on display. For instance, the BMW i Vision Dee features a “personalised welcome scenario” that combines graphical elements, light and sound effects. The headlights and closed grille form what BMW calls a common “phygital” (fusion of physical and digital) icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to produce different “facial expressions”. The concept can even project an image of the driver’s avatar onto the side window to further personalise the welcome scenario.

A closer look at the BMW i Vision Dee’s fresh technology

The concept’s E Ink tech effectively allows the user to design their own livery.

So, what other tech is packed into the BMW i Vision Dee (the latter stands for “Digital Emotional Experience”)? Well, the fresh-faced concept features a full-colour version of the E Ink technology that debuted on the BMW iX displayed at CES 2022. While that model could alternate between black and white only, the newcomer showcases a multi-coloured, fully variable and individually configurable exterior.

The system relies an “ePaper” film applied to the vehicle body, allowing up to 32 colours to be displayed. The surface of the concept is divided into 240 segments, each of which is controlled individually, allowing a wide variety of patterns to be generated and varied within seconds. In other words, design your own livery!

Then there’s the new head-up display, which is projected across the full width of the windscreen. BMW says a “standard-production version” of this display is planned for models of the Neue Klasse family of vehicles from 2025 onwards.

The BMW i Vision Dee furthermore features a “mixed reality slider”, which works in conjunction with the advanced head-up display. Described as the concept’s “central operating control”, the system allows the driver to decide how much digital content they want to see. The 5-step selection ranges from analogue to driving-related information, the contents of the communications system, augmented-reality projection and even “entry into virtual worlds”. Meanwhile, dimmable windows allow the occupants to “gradually fade out reality”.

“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers – and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

“At the same time, BMW i Vision Dee is another step on the road to the NEUE KLASSE. With this vision, we are looking far into the future and underlining the tremendous importance of digitalisation for our upcoming product generations.”

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