The Rolls-Royce of the Future Looks Outrageous

The Rolls-Royce brand has imagined what its lineup of ultra-luxury vehicles will look like over the next 100 years.

Putting together a vehicle that is purely visionary is new to Rolls-Royce, which has never built a concept car in its 112-year history. Now it has rolled out the VISION NEXT 100 concept, trying to answer some key questions, like what is the future of luxury and how will Rolls-Royce fit into that framework.

Customization will be a large part of its future, like it is today, with Rolls-Royce saying that its future customers will be able to commission their cars as genuine one-off creations.

While details are scarce, Rolls-Royce says that the concept is built on a lightweight platform that uses an all-electric drivetrain for power. Composite materials and advances in production will also allow new “creative possibilities” for Rolls-Royce.

Inside, this concept features Macassar wood, hand-twisted silk carpet and soft silk upholstery, while plenty of sunlight is let in through a massive panorama window. Since it is fully autonomous, the steering wheel and instruments have been replaced with a large central timepiece.

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Besides being able to drive itself, the Rolls-Royce concept has virtual intelligence that will be able to fulfill all of the passenger’s needs. It appears as a digital representation of the Spirit of Ecstasy, Rolls’ famous hood ornament, and is named Eleanor Thornton, after the model who inspired the famous logo.

Eleanor will work to learn everything about its passengers, including their favorite restaurants, routes and even art. Using voice interaction, she will work to tailor every drive to its passengers’ needs.

And to make sure that every arrival is a grand arrival, a red carpet will be projected onto the ground every time someone is getting out of the car.

“With the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 we were very 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,” said Giles Taylor, design director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

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