BMW showcases color-changing ‘Dee’ at CES 2023

BMW made quite a show at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by revealing a car that can change its color. The vehicle is known as the BMW i Vision Dee.

Those who follow the carmaker’s social media accounts would have noticed a flood of “Dee” related posts these past few days. Dee, per the German carmaker, stands for Digital Emotional Experience.

Allowing the BMW i Vision Dee to change its colors is the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink. This, explained BMW, allows the vehicle to select from 32 colors and a wide range of patterns.

“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalization to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers — and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said BMW Chairman of the Board of Management Oliver Zipse.

“At the same time, BMW i Vision Dee is another step on the road to the Neue Klasse. With this vision, we are looking far into the future and underlining the tremendous importance of digitalization for our upcoming product generations,” he added.

True to its moniker, Dee, does exactly what its name implies. The mid-size sedan pushes a car’s digital functions, far beyond the level of voice control and driver assistance systems we are familiar with today.

The BMW Head-Up-Display (HUD) extends across the full width of the windscreen. Further, the BMW Mixed Reality Slider works in combination with the advanced HUD and acts as the digital highlight and central operating control of the BMW i Vision Dee. Using shy-tech sensors on the instrument panel, drivers can decide for themselves how much digital content they want to see on the advanced HUD.

The design of BMW i Vision Dee has been deliberately pared down to focus attention on the digital experience and the DNA of the BMW brand. The exterior is defined by the classic three-box sedan design that forms the core of the BMW brand. Traditional design elements, like the BMW kidney grille, twin circular headlights, and the Hofmeister kink, are reimagined, with “phygital” icons replacing analog elements. This gives BMW i Vision Dee its own digital, but human, character.

“With BMW i Vision Dee, we are showing how the car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusty companion. The vehicle itself becomes your portal to the digital world – with the driver always in control. Implemented the right way, technology will create worthwhile experiences, make you a better driver and simply bring humans and machines closer together,” said BMW Group Design Head Adrian van Hooydonk.

Photos from BMW

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