Thursday, June 16, 2016

"The Rolls-Royce Vision 100 concept is completely, irredeemably ridiculous "

Not you Grandmother's Roller.

From The Verge:

'Epitomises bespoke automotive luxury'

Rolls-Royce is a marque known for being exceptional, and today it truly lived up to its name with the unveiling of a new Vision 100 concept car. It's part of parent company BMW's centenary celebrations, envisioning what the future of mobility will look like in another 20 or 30 years. The RR answer is simply staggering in the extremism of its opulence and swagger. I witnessed it rolling in to the stage here in London this morning, and it felt like I was attending the inauguration of a giant cruise ship. Measuring nearly 20 feet in length (5.9m) and five feet tall, the Vision 100 dwarfs its occupants and nearby attendants in a way that even the grandest present-day Rolls-Royces can't quite match.

In introducing the car, Rolls-Royce referred to it as "her," and with good reason. The Spirit of Ecstasy figurine that sits proudly at the front of the car has also been personified in the form of an AI called Eleanor inside the car. "She's your ethereal concierge," says Rolls-Royce, and she handles most things around the vehicle in response to your voice commands. Like any good AI, she will learn about you over time, remembering your preferred routes, restaurants, and apparently even your taste in art. The Vision 100 is a fully autonomous, zero-emissions vehicle, and it serves to underline BMW's expressed belief that electric drive is the future....MORE