Rinspeed, a concept carmaker from Switzerland decided to fiddle with the BMW i8 and dive deeper into its futuristic appeal with the Etos Concept. You might know Rinspeed with the sQuba a submersible car that was inspired by the underwater Lotus Elise Espirit that James Bond flaunted in “The Spy Who Loved Me”.
Despite having a lackluster response, the BMW i8 was a very influential car. It was with this car that we got an idea of how cool and sporty hybrids can be. Before this BMW came out, there was the Toyota Prius which was redefining “boring”, and in the all-electric arena, we had the Nissan Leaf.
Both these cars were not doing any good for the enthusiastic bunch. But BMW was thinking out-of-the-box. And with a rear mid-engined hybrid sports coupe layout, the i8 was anything but unattractive! Rinspeed took a BMW i8, modified its already sick-looking exterior, and gave it autonomous driving capabilities.
The coolest feature is its private drone which had a tiny landing pad on the back of the Bimmer. This feature is still a concept and the latest car that we have come across with a drone is the Polestar O2 Electric Roadster Concept. The interior also got a bold and futuristic makeover with retracting steering wheel and a symmetrical dashboard with loads of screens. The Etos was a technology exercise by Rinspeed of the possible future, back in 2016. And it is safe to say that they were right all along!
Rinspeed took a BMW i8 and added more value to its futuristic appeal with autonomous driving capabilities and a pet drone!
Rinspeed Makes A Stock BMW i8 Look Outdated
The coolest part about the BMW i8 was its looks. This Bimmer launched in 2016, and we still look at it with awe in 2022. It was barely unchanged from the concept car and that was a big deal in the automobile industry. But the futuristic looks were also a reason for its lackluster response.
You see, people expect a car that looks like it’s from the future to …well….have specs of the future. But the BMW i8 was a mundane performance, despite its “sports coupe” tag. It packs in a 1.5-Liter turbocharged three-cylinder and two electric motors coupled to a 7.1 kWh battery pack to churn out a combined 357 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.
These were clearly not lousy numbers, but the i8’s design made us expect more! But even with a design that managed to make almost everyone happy, Rinspeed designed to fiddle with it and create the Etos! And we must say, that they played with fire pretty well.
Rinspeed Etos Interior Is Straight Out Of A Sci-Fi Movie
The press images of the Rinspeed Etos interior made us rub our eyes twice! The stock dashboard of the i8 was swapped for a complex and symmetrical layout. The dashboard was layered with two individually curved 21.5-inch UHD screens. And in good-old Swiss style, there was a clock positioned between the screens, closer to the windshield.
The analog clock also shared space as a mount for an in-car camera. The amount of technology features this concept car packed for 2016 was unreal. Many in-car and infotainment features could be remotely controlled using a smartphone, voice command, and even gestures. Harman provided the infotainment and connected features.
It had AI-learning packed in which could learn about your music taste, travel routes, and driving pattern to give optimum suggestions. The autonomous driving capability was also this tricked-out BMW i8’s highlight. Putting it into “automatic pilot” mode would retract the steering wheel into an enclosed and leave the front row passengers with a clear book-shelf-like area.
Rinspeed used eight HD cameras on the exterior along with relying on data from larger transportation grids to go the unmanned route smoothly. The upholstery was also given a “technology” theme. The seats were embroidered in the San Francisco skyline shade which was a homage to the Bay Area’s tech-savvy businesses.
James Bond Would Love The Etos For Its Drone Trick
Coming to the coolest part trick of the Etos, its drone. This concept car had its launch pad for a drone, positioned right above the engine. Rinspeed tied up with Chinese technology company DJI for its drone trick. The drone pad was fitted with 12,000 LEDs which allowed for visual drama, and also project messages, and SOS symbols.
Rinspeed had stated a more leisurely set of functions for the drone-like shooting action footage of the Etos in action or delivering stuff. But we all know that this drone strapped with a slew of weapons would be the perfect sidekick for the next James Bond! The usage of this drone is limitless, and that is what makes this concept so cool.
Rinspeed Etos Exterior Is Custom Job Done Right
Never did we think that the BMW i8’s design could be tweaked further without destroying its glamour. Rinspeed did it, and we actually dig the custom visual overhaul. The Swiss custom company got rid of all those creases and dents and gave the i8 a rather smooth exterior.
Minimalism seems to be the theme with the front fascia getting a less complex layout. The major mod happens to be on the side profile where things have gotten “smoother” and “simpler”. Adding to the custom vibe are a set of 20-inch Borbet GTX wheels made from aluminum and titanium.
Rinspeed gave the Etos a simplified two-tone paint job of matte black and Metallic Austin Yellow. The rear fascia gets flattened out to house the drone pad and looks like a long-tail version of the i8. Rinspeed also stated that they used specialty ceramics and metal alloys to give the exterior a smooth and unique finish.
Sources: Rinspeed, BMW