Rolls-Royce 103EX: A Vision of 22nd Century Luxury

During the creation process of the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team - led by Giles Taylor - asked themselves a vital question, “How can we recast luxury for the next 100 years?”.

“With the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 we were mindful not to dwell on the past,” explains Giles Taylor, Director of Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time transcend the design history of the marque”.

“Today, Rolls-Royce, the world’s leading luxury brand, has defined the future of luxury mobility,” adds Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “The Grand Arrival of the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 boldly points to a bright future for our marque where our patrons’ individual demands for complete and authentic personalisation will be met through an exquisite fusion of technology, design and hallmark Rolls-Royce craftsmanship.”

The dynamically styled 103EX is a striking take on future generations of Rolls-Royce, and an exciting leap in evolutionary stages for the progressive luxury brand.

The 103EX takes the design and construction structures behind the Rolls-Royce ethos (The Personal Vision, The Effortless Journey, The Grand Sanctuary and The Grand Arrival) and places them in the 22nd Century.

An example of the evolutionary steps leading up to the creation of the 103EX is the transformation of the Spirit of Ecstasy into something which stands as much more than just a symbol.

Modelled by sculptor and artist Charles Sykes, on Eleanor Thornton, the Spirit of Ecstasy has stood as an elegant symbol of automotive excellence for 110 years. Today, the ‘Voice of Eleanor’ inhabits the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, delivering the dream of an effortless future to her owners.

Digitally connected to every aspect of her owners’ lives and her surrounding environment, ‘Eleanor’ becomes their virtual assistant and chauffeur, imbued with her own artificial intelligence, she works intuitively to advise her owners on itineraries, schedules and options before they leave their residence.

Should they choose to drop their eyes from that world stage for a moment and ask ‘Eleanor’ for visual cues, she will provide them on the transparent OLED screen that dominates the front wall of the cabin. Here our passengers can view information regarding their journey, their destination and the people they are expecting to meet. Or they may simply choose to retreat from the outside world and be entertained by their favourite show for a while.

This is just an example of a new level of thought bringing Rolls-Royce into the 22nd Century, and the VISION NEXT 100 to our eyes. Watch a full 3D movie surrounding the 103EX here, guided by Eleanor herself.