BMW Vision M NEXT Gallery

Watch a science-fiction movie, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that tomorrow's motorists won't actually require a driving license. That's a future the BMW Vision M NEXT isn't quite ready to accept, though, with the German automaker looking to counter recent autonomous concepts like 2018's Vision iNEXT with a more driver-focused alternative. In the process, it nods to BMW icons liek the M1 and the i8.

As with the i8, the Vision M NEXT is a hybrid. There are electric motors front and rear, for EV all-wheel drive, along with a gas four-cylinder engine that can drive the rear as well. Total system power is 600 hp, BMW says, with 0-62 mph arriving in 3.0 seconds.

Outside, the wedge-shaped profile is classic sports car design language, punctuated with aero vents, exposed recycled carbon fiber, and splashes of contrasting orange. Inside, BMW bypasses leather almost entirely, using microfiber and bronze anodized titanium. An augmented reality windshield and glass instrumentation give it a thoroughly futuristic feel.