Heart of the matter

The Vision Driving Experience is a test mule for BMW's next generation of vehicle dynamics technology. JAMES ATTWOOD straps himself in

- JAMES ATTWOOD

"The engineers won't even tell me how much power this has," says development driver Jens Klingmann, as he casually hurls the BMW Vision Driving Experience into a corner fast enough for the tyres to howl in protest. "But it's a lot." Given that my insides are still churning from the hit of acceleration at the start, he didn't really need to say that last bit.

The Vision Driving Experience is, indeed, a lot. It's a lot of car, with a lot of motors, a lot of fans (we will get to those) and a lot of performance. And it has a lot of significance for the ongoing development of BMW's next-generation Neue Klasse EVs, which will start to arrive this year.

This isn't just your average prototype, then. But at heart that's basically what it is: a quad-motor, high-power EV test mule styled on the next-gen 3 Series saloon, which has been pounding around various test facilities during recent months.

Four motors and a ridiculous power output? That sounds quite a lot like the forthcoming first electric M3, doesn't it? Except BMW insists the Vision Driving Experience (let's call it the VDE for short) isn't a test mule for the next M3. Instead, the firm describes it as a one-off test rig on wheels, a moving laboratory used to hone technology being developed for all future Neue Klasse models in an extreme environment. The development work being done with it is as relevant to the next single-motor, entry-level iX3 SUV as it will be to whatever M division's engineers concoct for their electric offerings.