W H E E L S
BMW Motorrad Definition CE 04
PARKA AND RIDE
£tbc / bmw-motorrad.co.uk That’s a far cry from the Aprilia scooter I had as a rebellious teen… You bet, and this one swaps the ‘wasp in a can’ engine note for a near-silent ride. It builds on the foundations laid by the C Evolution, a battery-powered city slicker launched in 2014. That hasn’t been a massive success for BMW, but perhaps we’re now ready for the next generation of emissions-free two-wheeled commuting. But this is still a concept, right? Yes, it’s both a design study and a platform for testing out new tech… but also a finished article. In fact, don’t be shocked if the production machine looks very close to this. It does look a bit Quadrophenia. It appears the Definition CE 04’s designers have been bingeing on the Mods vs Rockers classic, in between repeats of Blade Runner and Minority Report. Alongside the sharp styling, low-slung ‘floating’
NEWS DASHBOARD
seat and smartphone-enabled 10.25in TFT infotainment display, there’s a light-up accompanying parka for added visibility. And the performance figures? BMW is keeping tight-lipped about those, but has stated that this scooter is designed for the urban environment, so don’t expect epic range or superbike-rivalling acceleration. Instead, it’s been designed for maximum convenience – think multiple stowage areas and a wireless charging slot for your phone. So… will it see the light of day? BMW has a great track record of taking slightly mad concepts like this into production, and has already stated that the Definition CE 04 transfers the radical design of its 2017 Concept Link machine to “production readiness with almost unchanged design”. If that isn’t a hint, we don’t know what is.
MINI BUS
Have you ever wondered what a Mini campervan would look like? The Vision Urbanaut is a computer design study to show us the spacious Mini interior of the future. It can be configured for ‘Chill’, ‘Vibe’ and ‘Wanderlust’ driving modes and, no, we don’t know what that means. But we do know it has a ‘day bed’, which is nice.
RAVING BULL
The Huracan STO is the maddest Lambo for some time, with performance credentials that are as close to a Super Trofeo racing car as you can get for the road. It has rear-wheel-drive, rear steer, ludicrous downforce and a 5.2-litre V10 that develops 631bhp. Oh, and a price tag that tickles the £260,000 mark.
RUBI RAD
Jeep seems to be going against the green grain with an insane 470bhp version of its meaty Wrangler Rubicon. The 392 (a nod to its engine’s capacity in cubic inches) features a 6.4-litre V8 powerplant and components beefed up for off-road antics. Don’t expect it to go on sale outside the US, though.
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