BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept

The Vision ConnectedDrive concept is not that far away from the sort of size and shape that would make a tasty new Z2. It's dressed up in all sorts of technical trickery for the Geneva Motor Show at the start of next month, including coloured light strips that highlight different systems, but the shape is the sort of thing that would sit comfortably in BMW showrooms around the world.And no-one should forget that BMW Group says it does not build dream machines these days, only future cars that point to production. The ConnectedDrive concept is the latest in a series of Vision concepts and BMW concedes that moves by other companies, most notably Audi, could be drawing it down the Z2 road as expands its small-car lineup below the current 1-Series.This car is far from being confirmed for production. It is very much a concept carBMW Australia. "But our competitors are going into that segment. It might be the case that we will see the response to that."He refuses to be drawn any further, there are strong design elements in the car's shape and the flowing sides that point to BMW's future. "The main thing to extract is the layering. We've already seen it happening in the interior of the X3."Beyond that, it's simple: "It's very much about the technologyThe light fighter is intended to show the car's various connections - to the driver, vehicle and the surrounding environment.The cabin has three layers - comfort, infotainment and safety - with a corresponding light installation. Safety is - no surprise, red - with blue for infotainment and green for the various connections to the outside world, using a pair of aerials where the mirrors would normally live.There is a huge number of sensors in the car, from front and rear traffic cameras to connections to other cars and active roadside safety systems. But BMW has still had some fun with the roadster, bringing back the drop-down doors first seen in the limited-edition Z1 convertible.There is also an advanced 3-D head-up display and a programmable instrument cluster to provide the driver with additional information, optically emphasised to a greater or lesser degree. BMW has not forgotten the passenger, who gets a separate system and display to  evaluate information, music or navigation details that can be passed across to the driver.