SPARTANBURG /MUNICH: BMW has introduced its latest high-performance test vehicle – the BMW Vision Driving Experience – which is designed to push the limits of driving pleasure and test new electric drivetrain technology.
The prototype, which is not destined for series production, serves as a rolling research platform for the development of the "Heart of Joy", an advanced control unit for the Neue Klasse range of vehicles.
The Vision Driving Experience will make its world debut at Auto Shanghai 2025 following extensive trials at the BMW Performance Driving Centre in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA.
During these tests, the prototype’s advanced control system was subjected to rigorous endurance challenges to assess its ability to manage drivetrain, braking, charging, recuperation and steering functions.
The Heart of Joy unit has been engineered entirely in-house and processes information at speeds 10 times faster than its predecessors, ensuring rapid and precise coordination of various vehicle systems.
The control unit combines four previously separate control functions into one high-performance computer. This integration allows the system to manage power delivery and energy recuperation with high efficiency, increasing overall vehicle efficiency by up to 25 per cent.
By using energy recuperation for the majority of braking – with 98 per cent of normal driving relying solely on this system – the vehicle maximises range and reduces reliance on traditional friction brakes, which are reserved for emergency situations.
The Vision Vehicle, capable of developing 18,000Nm of torque, tests the limits of this system, proving that the new control architecture can handle extreme power outputs while ensuring everyday driving comfort and stability.
The combined BMW Dynamic Performance Control software works with the Heart of Joy to provide seamless control of acceleration, braking and steering. Drivers experience enhanced precision during cornering and smooth transitions between driving and braking, even at low speeds or in stop-start conditions.
The new technology forms a key element of the Neue Klasse, BMW’s forthcoming range of fully electric models.
The first of these taller electric models is set for series production later this year at Plant Debrecen in Hungary.
The Vision Driving Experience, with its distinctive colour-coded wheel rims signalling acceleration, recuperation and friction braking, provides a demonstration of the future of electric driving.
