Rolls-Royce has made driving and riding in luxury a reality for over 100 years. Now the British company is ready to offer its customers the same quality of service with a bit of a futuristic look with its Vision Next 100 concept that was revealed at the recent London Roundhouse.
And for those reading this thinking, “Wait, Rolls never does concept cars…,” You’re right. The Vision Next 100 (codenamed 103EX) is Rolls-Royce’s first-ever pure concept vehicle in its 105-year history. Oh, and it’s a fully autonomous vehicle too.
The Vision Next 100 is more like a rolling living room than a vehicle. The interior features room for two or three adults and holds a silk-covered sofa with Macassar wood trim and paneling and plush wool carpet.
There isn’t even a steering wheel or dashboard in the compartment for a passenger to take control of if they felt the need to. The Vision Next 100 utilizes Eleanor, its version of Apple’s Siri. It is so named for Eleanor Thornton who played muse for Rolls’ iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figure that sits atop every hood that rolls out of the British brand’s factory. Eleanor is able to drive the Rolls-Royce concept up to its passengers, take in the desired location, plot the course, and drive her cargo to its arrival.
On top of taking on the challenge of fully autonomous driving, Rolls-Royce has also changed the way its car gets the power it needs to move. Instead of the usual big V12 Rolls are known for, the Vision Next 100 features two inboard 250 kW electric motors located between both sets of wheels.
While this type of car might take some time to become a reality, Rolls-Royce is promising that when the time comes, its customers will be well taken care of.