How the world of luxury motoring is merging with the world of technology

It might surprise you to know that the future technology of luxury motoring was not shown at a motor show, but in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jeep — they were all there with everything from concept cars to apps.

It’s a reflection of the way motoring is changing, with a spokesperson for Luxoft, the company that designed the Mercedes Hyperscreen in the latest S-Class, telling Wanted that in the future cars “will be sold on personal experience rather than driving experience.” Even BMW has ditched its “Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan and gone back to a derivation of its original 1960s line with “Designed for Driving Pleasure”.

Much of that is to do with the way we interact with our cars. This could be the way we use an app to pre-cool the car in summer, or to drive it remotely out of the garage. Sustainability meets luxury when it comes to the materials, from recycled plastics to carbon fibre made from plant fibres. Then there are the screens, or in some cases the lack of screens altogether.

The most extreme example of this is the hologram, with a number of future solutions on display that could one day find their way into your car. You’ll be able to interact them too, but before that we are likely to have lasers. Appotronics provided the incredible laser technology in the BMW i-Vision Dee concept revealed at CES. It uses laser projectors, not only to provide images on the windows for those inside or even those outside, but to provide mixed reality by overlaying a virtual world onto the real world in the windscreen as you drive.

We tested it, virtually and while yes, it felt rather strange when the road ahead suddenly became a road through a fantasy world, it clearly showed what the tech is capable of. We had a chat with Li Yi, founder of Appotronics and the potential seems almost limitless. He told us that he is in discussions with an airline to use the tech to create a completely immersive experience inside a first class cabin.

More of the tech is going to be hidden too. From the inside, you open the doors of the BMW i-Vision Dee by placing your fingers on the door trim which reveals a lit panel behind the material. You can then press on a displayed button to open the door. BMW calls it “shy tech” and there was lots of it at CES. Continental showed a wooden dash panel that when you move your hand close to it, reveals icons through the wood. As much as we want the tech, we don’t always want it in our faces it seems, instead we want to see it only when we want to use it, or so the industry believes.

You can expect more interaction too, not just through touch but through voice with Apple, Amazon, Google and other services. There will be more avatars, something the Chinese vehiclemakers are implementing increasingly with friendly robot faces on top of the dashboard that you give instructions to or just chat to.

The world of luxury motoring is merging with the world of technology. If you want traditional elements then fear not because marques such as Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce are still going to continue to offer bespoke solutions that match your individual style, but even with these brands, you can expect more tech. It will be tasteful of course, often hidden, but it will be there.

None of this means the end of the road for more analogue experiences. You might be electrified and chatting to an avatar on your way to an investors meeting, but nothing is stopping you from having a classic car in the garage for when you want to get back to basics, back to hearing and feeling the engineering of a wonderful engine, being engaged in the drive and enjoying a great road. For now, that’s still what actual driving pleasure is really all about.