BMW never really views these Vision Concepts as actual renditions of potential models as much as they use them to practice certain styling cues and dictate a certain design language that they're hoping to promote. They're handled a bit differently from the actual Concepts that you see coming out that are meant to represent the next model they're working on.
And fortunately Concepts don't have to play by any laws or regulations so you don't end up with hideous pedestrian friendly bumpers :lol:
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N2MINI MINI of the Month
I like parts of it. Don't see them building it as it sits now. If they do it blows the euro pedistrian law reasoning as to why the front bumper on the new Cooper looks the way it does. Or either this car won't be offered in Europe.
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BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIsLifetime Supporter
- May 4, 2009
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Nice photos and writeup, Rally. Well done.
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Crashton Club Coordinator
Very nice Rally. Thanks for sharing your work with us.
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GokartPilot Well-Known Member
Very well done Rally! Pictures are awesome, I think I have reached my visual saturation point for the day!
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Hmmm. It's not actually even a Mini concept, is it? Didn't Touring design it? Is it really just a piece of fluff to flatter BMW and help convince them to give Touring the work they really want (sub-contract building a specialist ultra-low-volume BMW, maybe?)
It isn't a Mini in size either, as it has been widened. So it's an Audi TT-size car with a Mini engine and badge.
But it looks cute and I guess that is all that matters to 99% of even Mini buyers. -
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I think all vision concepts could be considered "fluff" if you want to look at it cynically. Vision concepts are basically a practice in design where the artist is allowed more freedom to express the company's design aesthetic without being limited by safety standards, mass production cost, or daily use like they are with the production vehicles.
If you notice, BMW always seems to have a new vision concept to debut at the Concorso D'Eleganza....an event they are title sponsor of. They used it to debut the M1-styled prototype, the 328 homage car, and the crazy shifting fabric car.....all simply artistic displays of the company's design aesthetic to be shown off at the show in the concept category. It's basically a fancy art piece on 4 wheels.
You'll notice on this car (debuted at the same show a few years back) that after being given free reign to design an M1 homage concept, many of the designs traits later found their way onto the BMW i8 production cars...hence the future "vision" aspect of Vision Concepts.