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In a spectacular event at London’s Roundhouse yesterday, the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 was presented. The absolutely striking looking car with a silk throne, no steering wheel and aiming to be in production by 2040 defines the future of luxury mobility.

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Words by Lauren Beeching

The Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 presents an intriguing and aesthetically dynamic vision, something you would see in a film and never believe it to be true. The Rolls-Royce offers a completely personal, effortless and autonomous experience, wrapped in a design that ensures a 'Grand Sanctuary' for its occupants, and a 'Grand Arrival'.

"With the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 we were mindful not to dwell on the past. We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time transcend the design history of the marque".
Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

 

For Rolls-Royce, the end of production of the seventh generation Phantom - considered by aficionados to be "the best car in the world" - represents the completion of the first phase of the Rolls-Royce brand's renaissance under BMW Group custodianship. The success of Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and now Dawn serves as the foundation for a bold new chapter.

This highly successful era for the world's most celebrated luxury brand has been driven by a restless commitment to always looking forward.

In this spirit, the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 is presented - a truly revolutionary, highly authentic exploration of the future of luxury mobility. It provides a fully authentic look into the potential demands and desires of the wealthy connoisseur of the future.

The very size of the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 announces the importance of its precious cargo. At 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high, it mirrors the perfect dimensions of today's Phantom Extended Wheelbase, whilst the ever constant Spirit of Ecstasy grows in stature, harking back to the regal Phantoms of the 1920s. Hand-crafted by the finest European glassmakers of today, she lights the way to the future of luxury. She is poised atop the re-imagined, yet still iconic, Pantheon grille with the red Double-R badge of an experimental Rolls-Royce.

Seen from the side, the coachwork delivers hallmark Rolls-Royce privacy to the occupants as it rises gracefully like a fine cloak over the shoulders at the rear of the car. However, this fine drapery flatters to deceive as this rear shoulder line also imparts an air of powerful but graceful forward motion, accentuated by the rising beltline that thrusts upwards in a manner reminiscent of the great pre-war Rolls-Royces.

Whilst this radical new design language also contributes to an effortless, unruffled journey thanks to improved air flow and reduced air resistance, its unquestioned drama delivers a grand arrival.

Images provided by Rolls-Royce Automobile