Anyone who's been to a couple auto shows know that concept cars have as much chance of being built as Kanye has of being invited to Taylor Swifts post-Grammy party. They're usually nothing but design and technological exercises, built to show the world what the company is capable of. Usually, we'll see some of the design cues and some pieces of the tech implemented in future models. There are times however, when the automakers choose to act on a great design and actually build the damn thing. The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept may be one of those cars. We hope.
Word got out from a BMW authority in Munich, that BMW plans on building their diesel-electric plug in hybrid gran tourer as a 2013 model. Why is this big news? Well, for one, look at the thing. The Vision EfficientDynamics is one of the most interesting looking concepts we've seen in a long, long time. And, on top of the, BMW is touting as a green performance car. A model capable of getting Toyota Prius-like gas mileage will putting down BMW M3 like figures. That's like finding a super model who can cook and wants nothing more than to chill and play Batman: Arkham Asylum. Keep reading to learn more about this game changing concept...
EXTERIOR: In order for the Vision EfficientDyanmics to conserve the most energy, it needed to literally glide through the wind. The less wind resistance, the less energy it needs to use to propel itself. BMW's engineers tweaked the swooping and curvy exterior panels and outfitted the car with ultra low rolling resistance low-profile 195/55R21 tires and wide 21-inch alloy wheels with aero coverings to achieve a low drag coefficient of only 0.22. That's lower than any production car on the road. Even less than a Formula 1 car. Despite looking like a ride straight out of Minority Report, BMW wanted to create a car with the profile of a classic GT. And they have; the rear bunches up as the front hood smoothes out and swoops down. The doors are similar to gullwing, except they pivot on front mounted hinges and are large enough to let the people riding in the back get out.
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INTERIOR: The interior is all about you. Front seats are covered in natural, "green" materials which are stretched over a personalized padding mounted on a Kevlar shell. Both of which are connected to the center console. Interior lighting comes by way of ambient LED lighting , while the instrument panel is replaced by a multifunction 3D heads up display unit that also supplies night vision. It's James Cameron's dream car.
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DRIVETRAIN: In creating their greenest car ever, BMW also wanted to make it perform as well as their most famous performer, the M3. Many scoffed at the thought of a hybrid putting down numbers anywhere near an M3, but according to the Bavarian wonder boys, this set up can: It's powered by an advanced diesel/electric plug in hybrid that pumps out 356 horsepower and somehow manages to get 63 mpg with range of 400 miles. Sounds crazy, right? Here's how it breaks down: The drivetrain is centered around a 163 hp, 214 lb ft 1.5-liter three-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine. There's an electric motor that gives you 51 hp and another 214 lb-ft of torque, and then another electric motor connected to the front wheels that provides 162 lb-ft of torque, continuous 80 hp, and short bursts of power up to 139 hp. Combine that with a body that tips the scales at under 3,000 lbs and you have a ride that can shoot to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. A Prius can't do that.
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