The BMW I Vision Dee is a look into the future. And I’m not talking only about how it looks. Going inside the concept reveals BMW’s view of what the future of driving will look like. And luckily we were one of a few handful of lucky journalists who not only got some seat time but some 1:1 with the UI designer behind it all.

In our brief time with the Vision Dee several things became clear. Flame surfacing is dead. That design concept that has been a part of BMW’s since the 2001 7 Series served the brand well but BMW is clearing saying that it’s time to move on. In its place is minimal, and almost gentle forms and creases that feel directly connected to the E21 generation 3 Series.

The other is a return to the classic BMW proportions. That critical design ethos that serves BMW for decades was driven by performance. However pedestrian safety standards (among other things) seemed to take that away from BMW as a brand ethos. Without a massive lump of metal upfront, those standards don’t have to be met with two feet of plastic and rubber in front of the front wheels. This seemingly will allow BMW to return to that classic proportion we’ve known for decades and is the hallmark of such cars as the E21 and E30.

Screens Are Both Gone and Everywhere

Yes BMW will talk about the personal avatar and AI driven digital assistance but the real interesting advancement here in terms of technology is something called Shytech and a full width heads-up display. Shytech is a concept pioneered by the OEM supplier Continental that embeds screens behind material such as fabric, plastic or even wood. The concept is simple – the interior appears to have no digital interfaces at all. Until you need them. Once on they become full functional and can be embedded in much more organic ways than a massive rectangle in the center stack.

Then there’s the full width HUD which acts as the main area for infotainment and vehicle information. It’s a simple yet inevitable conclusion for automotive infotainment. It’s both where your eyes should be and the natural largest screen placement possible. BMW says we’ll see a production version by 2025. We’d bet it will be in the NEUE KLASSE sedan and small crossover before spreading to the rest of the range.