Want a go at driving BMW's exciting Vision iNext autonomous EV SUV, fully two years before it comes to market? Well, then, you should have got yourself over to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, because attendees who visited BMW's stand at the American event had a chance to drive the futuristic conveyance... sort of. You see, BMW put on a 'sophisticated mixed-reality simulation', which - through the use of VR headsets - allowed punters to travel to a hyper-connected Earth city of 2025, where they could see just how the iNext could slot seamlessly into their digital lifestyles. Furthermore, there was a portion of the test allowing a brief drive of the EV in 'Boost' mode, although it was more to show how it could take the wheel while its occupants held a board meeting, or riffled through a shopping app, or let their friends into their apartment (while still 'driving home') to watch the big game - all while watching the game as well, on the windscreen of the BMW. In essence, BMW was trying to show CES show goers just how the Vision iNext is so much more than just a mere car...

Matt Robinson - 8 Jan 2019