Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled its vision of “the future of luxury mobility” at a concept car event at the Roundhouse arts venue in north London a few days ago. The concept car is called Vision Next 100 and is the brainchild of Giles Taylor, director of design at Rolls-Royce.
The concept vehicle would be powered by ‘a zero emissions powertrain’ and measures just over 19-feet long, according to a press release. The luxurious car comes with a canopy roof, covered wheels and a door on only one side.
The Vision Next 100 features an artificial intelligence-powered voice assistant and chauffeur named Eleanor. The virtual assistant is named after Eleanor Thornton, a British actress and artists’ model who died nearly a century ago. Eleanor was the inspiration for the flying lady, or ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’, the bonnet ornament on Rolls-Royce cars, modelled in 1911 by sculptor and artist Charles Sykes. The Voice of Eleanor could offer you advice on how to prepare for meetings, book hotels or advise on your wardrobe selection, and even help you select movies and music for the car’s entertainment system.
Rolls-Royce said that the immense V12 combustion engines and has powered its huge cars in recent years are ‘most unlikely to exist in the future.’ But the company didn’t give futher information on how the new car would be powered. The designers replaced the majority of the engine space with a luggage compartment and the bags will eject automatically when the car is stopped. The interior, made only of ‘the most precious and contemporary elegance’ resembles a lounge with wooden panelling and deep-pile carpet. A wool-and-silk-upholstered sofa sits opposite a high-definition television screen that can be used for watching films or to reveal the surrounding scenery.
The company said it may need another 25 years before Vision Next 100 hits the road.
