Video: Hands-on With the BMW Vision Driving Experience & What it Means for MINI

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Violent, relentless and literally breathtaking. Those were the first words that came to mind as I climbed out of most powerful and capable BMW of all time – the BMW Vision Driving Experience. But there’s so much more happening in this test car beyond speed. Here’s what I experienced and why this tech could give future electric MINIs the soul of the originals.

BMW Vision Driving Experience At A Glance

What happens when BMW engineers strip away production constraints and push the boundaries of electric performance? You get the BMW Vision Driving Experience, a prototype built to test the limits of what an EV can do. While this concept car itself won’t hit showrooms, the technology inside it—the Heart of Joy—is very real. BMW claims this high-performance control unit will fundamentally change the way electric cars drive, feel, and respond. And after seeing it put to the test at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, it’s clear they weren’t exaggerating.

What this means for the Future Electric MINIs

With the upcoming Neue Klasse platform, BMW isn’t just going electric—it’s rethinking what electric performance means. At the IAA 2023, CEO Oliver Zipse introduced the Heart of Joy as a major leap forward in driving dynamics, and BMW’s Head of Development, Frank Weber, made it clear: this isn’t just an evolution—it’s something entirely new. By integrating drivetrain, braking, energy recuperation, and steering into a single high-speed control system, BMW has created a level of precision and responsiveness that no EV has achieved before. And to prove it can handle extreme forces, BMW engineered it to manage a staggering 13,269 lb-ft of torque—not because anyone needs that much, but to ensure it can handle anything the real world throws at it.

What this means for MINI is still hazy, but here’s what we know: The next-generation Countryman (like the X1) will be based on the Neue Klasse platform (code-named NE5) and will feature the same processing architecture. While we don’t have performance details from this test car, it will share the ability to predict, react, and provide feedback. That bodes well for the next generation of MINIs, as it theoretically allows engineers to inject more of the typical MINI driving experience (found in the Cooper models) into the larger Countryman.

The future of the electric Cooper is even hazier, as its ultimate platform remains uncertain. However, you can be sure that BMW will likely find a way to integrate this technology into that car, hopefully unlocking a more engaging and classic MINI-like driving experience.

Re-Imaging Braking

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Heart of Joy is how it eliminates the need for traditional braking in most situations. BMW says 98% of customers will never need to use the brake pedal in daily driving—regenerative braking will handle almost everything, making stops smoother and boosting efficiency by 25%. The system is so advanced that when you do hit the brakes, the car decides whether to engage the friction discs or rely solely on energy recuperation—often without ever touching the physical brakes. And to make this innovation tangible, BMW added color-coded wheels that indicate what’s happening: green for acceleration, blue for regen, and orange for friction braking.

What This Means for BMW & MINIs Future

The Heart of Joy is just one of four high-performance computing units in the Neue Klasse, combining everything from performance control to infotainment and automation into a seamless, ultra-responsive system. The first Neue Klasse production model arrives later this year, built at BMW’s Debrecen plant in Hungary. But what matters most is this: BMW isn’t just building an EV. They’re making an EV that still drives like a BMW. And given the ability almost limitless program different dynamic experiences, BMW can easily create a unique version for MINI as well.

In an era where most automakers focus on range and autonomy, it would appear that BMW and MINI will remain obsessed with steering feel, chassis balance, and driving pleasure. And if the Heart of Joy delivers? We might have an electric MINI that surpasses anything that came before it.

For much more on the BMW Vision Driving Experience, read our full report at BimmerFile.

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