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Rinspeed’s self-driving BMW i8 concept comes with its own drone

Rinspeed’s drone-toting, self-driving Etos concept takes bonkers to new extremes.

Oh Rinspeed. We can always rely on you to crank the batshit craziness levels up to 11. Its latest design is the Σtos, which is best described as a heavily-remixed BMW i8 that’s is not only able to drive itself, but is also followed around by its own drone. Yes, you read that correctly.

Let’s get to that drone straight away, shall we? According to Rinspeed it’s been installed mainly for giggles. They say: “The little flyer is a lot of fun when it acts like a UFO, shooting a selfie of the ride in the Σtos on your local favourite route and streaming it live to friends. Heads up: that little thing has an extremely high addiction and envy factor!”

OK then!

The Etos’ drone even has its own dedicated landing pad the rear, but in true Rinspeed style, it’s no ordinary landing pad. Rinspeed describes it as housing an “armada” of 12,000 individually-controlled LEDs that can be used as an electronic message board or “visual dance floor.” God only knows why.

The Etos is based on the BMW i8, and thus uses the same 326bhp hybrid power. But as tempting as it might be to drive this car, it has an autonomous mode that sees the steering wheel fold away into the dashboard out of sight, at which point displays move closer to the driver and front passenger, allowing them to more intimately experience the gesture-controlled infotainment system. Either that, or enjoy a touch of literature from the bookshelf-cum glovebox.

The in-vehicle tech is just as bonkers. It includes a £10,000 Carl F. Bucherer watch that lives in a rotating housing that rotates constantly in order to keep it wound up. That’s right, it spins, so most of the time you can’t actually see the watch face, and for the split second it’s facing you, the black hands on the black watch face means it’s next to impossible to read the time anyway.

If you are busy staring at the watch and happen to drive towards disaster, fret not. The Rinspeed Etos also has a camera system that watches your every move, and can alert you if it thinks disaster is imminent and you’re not watching the road ahead.

All this is a mere fraction of the craziness that is the Etos. Of course, it’ll never actually be built, but kudos to Rinspeed for taking the time to dream up something this insane. We’ll have whatever you’re smoking.

To see the Etos in action, watch the video above. 

Rinspeed Etos pictures

 

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