Rolls-Royce has rolled out a driverless electric concept car which it says defines the future of luxury car travel for the next century.

In a spectacular event at London’s Roundhouse today, the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 was presented. Codenamed 103EX, it is the marque’s first ever pure ‘vision vehicle’.

The car runs on electric motors housed in the wheel hubs or under the floor, has no steering wheel and will be driven by a virtual assistant while an advanced suspension will see the vehicle almost skim across the road surface. 

The front bonnet meanwhile is used to stash two huge suitcases which slide out at hand height.

“With the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 we were mindful not to dwell on the past. We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time transcend the design history of the marque,” comments Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 presents an intriguing vision of the future of luxury mobility – a completely personal, effortless and autonomous Rolls-Royce experience, wrapped in a design that ensures a “grand sanctuary” for its occupants and a “grand arrival”.

The vision vehicle is one of four announced by the BMW Group in March this year as part of its centenary celebrations. 

The car has been designed with four key tenets that epitomise the future of luxury travel: the personal vision, the effortless journey, the grand sanctuary and the grand arrival.

In the spirit of the great coachbuilt cars of the past, the concept car is hand-built from the most advanced materials and powered by a zero emissions powertrain.

The concept car also boasts a virtual assistant named after actress Eleanor Thornton, the inspiration behind the ironic Spirit of Ecstasy that sits atop the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce car. Digitally connected to every aspect of her owners’ lives and her surrounding environment, ‘Eleanor’ becomes their virtual assistant and chauffeur, working intuitively to advise her owners on itineraries, schedules and options before they leave their residence.

Inside, the environment is crafted from the most precious and contemporary of materials. The cabin is encircled by the handcrafted Macassar wood panelling, sweeping across the interior from the coach door, continuing around behind the generous OLED screen and up beside the second passenger to the side of the sofa. 

The centrepiece of the cabin is the beautiful silk sofa. Clothed in the most opulent fabrics, it gives the impression of floating within the cocoon of the cabin thanks to the artful use of lighting and modern materials.

A final sensual touchpoint within the cabin is the finest one-off deep-pile ivory wool carpet, which passengers can enjoy as they luxuriate in the ample space created by the removal of the chauffeur. 

On the OLED screen that dominates the front wall of the cabin passengers can view information regarding their journey, their destination and the people they are expecting to meet or be entertained by their favourite show.

Finally, the size and design of the car will ensure a “grand arrival” of its occupants. At 5.9 m long and 1.6 m high, it mirrors the dimensions of today’s Phantom Extended Wheelbase, whilst the ever constant Spirit of Ecstasy grows in stature, harking back to the regal Phantoms of the 1920s. The roof lifts away, while the door opens rearward just like on Rolls-Royce’s current models, allowing its occupants to stand up and get out.