Although the BMW Vision Next 100 revealed at the Centenary Event held in Munich today (7 March) is focused on autonomous technology, the carmaker added “rather than being an anonymous transport machine, it is a highly customised vehicle that is perfectly tailored to suit the driver’s changing needs”.

“Future mobility will connect every area of people’s lives. And that’s where we see new opportunities for premium mobility,” said Harald Krüger, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

The vehicle is designed around two modes – Boost and Ease – which offer a choice of driver-controlled or vehicle-controlled operations and change the interior accordingly.

In Boost, the entire vehicle focuses on the driver, offering the support needed to maximise the driving experience – for instance by indicating the ideal driving line, steering point and speed.

Ease mode sees the interior transform: the steering wheel and centre console retract; the headrests turn to the side, and the seats and door trim merge to form a single unit so that the driver and front-seat passenger can turn towards each other.

“If, as a designer, you are able to imagine something, there’s a good chance it could one day become reality,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW group design. “So our objective with the BMW VISION NEXT 100 was to develop a future scenario that people would engage with.”

As well as debuting at today’s event, the BMW Vision Next 100 will be taken on a world tour before joining the BMW Motorrad collection in Los Angeles, USA.

Other BMW centenary events this year will include a BMW Festival in the Munich Olympic Park in September and the release of a 13-volume publication outlining the history of the company and discussing key future topics.