[Jason]

Driving experience in a class of its own: BMW Vision Driving Experience shines in Shanghai with spectacular manoeuvres and gleaming paintwork.



21.04.2025 Press Release

+++ Two days before the world's largest motor show, BMW demonstrates driving manoeuvres with the high-performance test vehicle BMW Vision Driving Experience +++ Lightning-fast Heart of Joy central computer takes the driving dynamics of future BMW models to a new level +++ Munich/Shanghai.

Munich/Shanghai. Driving dynamics at the limits of physics: At the world's largest motor show in Shanghai, BMW presents the BMW Vision Driving Experience, a driving experience of the highest order. Developed on the basis of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the high-performance test vehicle will be unveiled to the public for the first time at Auto Shanghai 2025.

Inside, the lightning-fast Heart of Joy control computer, which works in conjunction with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack to centrally calculate all driving dynamics functions, is visible in the centre console of the BMW Vision Driving Experience in Shanghai - unlike later in series production.

The BMW Vision Driving Experience has been specially designed to challenge the Heart of Joy at the limits of driving physics.

Test drivers Jens Klingmann and Elias Houndtonji, the main attraction of the BMW Brand Night, demonstrate the extraordinary potential of the car with spectacular driving manoeuvres. BMW presents the show's vision vehicle in a special luminescent paint.

“This evening in Shanghai, BMW Group presented the most powerful prototype BMW has ever built. With up to 18,000 Nm of torque, the BMW Vision Driving Experience demonstrated Joy of Driving in its ultimate form. Equipped with our new super brain “Heart of Joy”, the VDX is converting the ultimate electric power into controlled driving pleasure - no wonder we’ve experienced overwhelming feedback from the audience” said Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Customers, Brands and Sales.

The first all-electric Neue Klasse vehicles will roll off the production line at the Debrecen plant in Hungary from the end of the year. The Heart of Joy central computer, which ensures a new level of precision and driving dynamics, will be fitted as standard in every Neue Klasse vehicle.

The ultimate endurance test for the next generation of drive and driving dynamics control.

With the visionary BMW Vision Driving Experience test vehicle, BMW is pushing the boundaries of familiar driving dynamics. With a torque of up to 18,000 Newton metres, the "fastest test rig in the world" is the ultimate endurance test for the Heart of Joy and BMW Dynamic Performance Control developed entirely by BMW. Thanks to active aerodynamics, the "driving machine" develops a downforce up to of 1.2 tonnes and lateral forces of up to 3g - a dimension on a par with Formula 1 and far beyond the requirements of conventional vehicles in road traffic. The logic behind this: If the hardware and software can tame the brute forces of this test rig, they can easily cope with the demands of everyday use.

In the new functional architecture of the Neue Klasse, the Heart of Joy is the central computer responsible for driving, braking, recharging through recuperation and some steering functions. With fast information processing and direct control of the electric motors, the Heart of Joy not only achieves a new level of agility and driving stability with fewer system interventions, but also enables 98 per cent of braking operations to be carried out using brake energy regeneration. This represents a 25% increase in efficiency compared to today's architectures. The vehicle can also be brought to a standstill more smoothly than ever before.

Innovative, fluorescent paint for the show in Shanghai.

Although the BMW Vision Driving Experience was designed for development purposes only and is not intended for series production, its exterior is based on the design language of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. The monolithic-looking body, powerful wheel arches, recessed greenhouse and "shark nose" front end are all part of the purist aesthetic that will also characterise the Neue Klasse. A new interpretation of the characteristic BMW radiator grille and twin headlights creates a striking, three-dimensional light signature at the front.

For the presentation in Shanghai, the BMW Vision Driving Experience, which had previously been covered in camouflage film and shown at a preview in the USA, was given an innovative, self-illuminating paint finish. The paint's special light-sensitive pigments recharge in daylight, with even the smallest amount of ambient light sufficient. In the dark, the colour varies from a whitish yellow to an expressive neon yellow, depending on the state of charge. In addition, the rear of the car has been fitted with a "magic film" which, when stimulated by UV light, creates an expressive gradient from yellow to orange to pink from the rear to the front of the car. These special looks underline the uniqueness and innovative power of the car.

[BroDoze]

Mitsubishi Evo X

What’s old is new

[sward]

Love it

[Ezra168]

Am I the only one who thinks this looks atrocious?

[NathObeaN]

Originally Posted by Ezra168

Am I the only one who thinks this looks atrocious?

I don’t mind the overall shape and general design, but the colours, fabric choices etc. detract from it IMO.

[WhiteWalkerM5]

Not my cup of tea. I felt the same about the G80 and now have one about to be delivered. Maybe I will change my mind in a few years. But never been an electric car fan anyways. Will see what the 2028 ICE has to offer.

[Mg.]

Copying what I said in the other thread:

Ditch the corny LED rims and you got one fuckable car imo. Quite compact. Short, tight ass (though that ridiculous diffuser is adding some unnecessary fat). Sharp Hofmeister kink. Yeah, I'd drive that

Shame it's not going into production. The line work is phenomenal. But now I'm more curious (and also slightly hopeful!) about the upcoming i4 coupe/cabrio.

[SALD25]

[Chihuahua]

Dig it. Front 3/4 view is fantastic.

[G30 B58]

No sub belts, just 4 points?

[hotrod182]

Kind of reminds me of having Lincoln design cues.

[luvcars]

Weird shape center screen 📺 different for the sake of being different.

[VagrantWade]

Originally Posted by Ezra168

Am I the only one who thinks this looks atrocious?

I need to see it without all he overly dorky sanitized elements they usually change for production.

[LuisBoston]

You can listen to the downforce fans here:

https://www.bmwblog.com/2025/04/22/bmw-vdx-loud-fans/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DItUu...on_share_sheet

[J-RO]

The rear quarter looks odd. Also not a fan of a dial for a gear shift.

[hrf]

Too bling for me, I guess that what China wants.

[T0RM3NT]

Just a hunch…FEMTO might not be able to unlock the, “Lightning-fast Heart of Joy central computer”.

[ghaffari46]

Just imagine seeing this car coming fast in your rear view mirror!
Nothing gonna happen. You will stay on the left lane.

[Daaaadadundun]

Yeah I am going to call it. I am going to love the new design language of BMW. It gives me E10, E21, a bit of E30 vibes but a modern-day version.
You have to look past the color and still some conceptual things like the backlight, but if they can produce a car that's like 90 to 95% the same then this is going to look good. Especially when lowered and nice wheels on it.
I hope the difuser and front end is a sneak peak into the M package because this will look sick.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by Ezra168

Am I the only one who thinks this looks atrocious?

Nope.
100% Lincoln nose.
Mitsu/Dodge Challenger dorky rear half.

Mercedes-style screens the entire width of the dashboard (with instrument cluster delete) + Tesla-style center screen.

Very few brands left out from being ripped-off...

Luckily, it's just a concept car, so the production vehicle might actually resemble a BMW.... or not!

a

P.S.: Here is the video of VDX actually driving up and down the wall for reasons unknown (tire grip advertisement?):

[6SPDG82]

Who came up with the name “Heart of Joy”? 😆

Exterior looks cool but the interior is like an acid trip throwback to the 60s-70s

[-Ryan-]

It's going to take me a while to get use to. Overall it's kind of cool. All I see is this when I look at the taillights though.