The presentation of the Trofeo BMW Group set a glorious seal on the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014 in Cernobbio, northern Italy, on Sunday. Visitors from around the world once again flocked to Lake Como in their thousands at the weekend to experience the parades of exclusive classic vehicles at the tradition-laden beauty contest for historic cars and motorcycles.
Among the highlights of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014 were the special exhibitions laid on for the 110th anniversary of British luxury car brand Rolls-Royce and the centenary of Italian sports car maker Maserati. The two landmarks were also celebrated with special categories of competition for the two marques. Hailed as class winners by the jury were the Rolls-Royce Phantom II Boat Tail from 1934 and the Maserati V4 Sport, a Zagato-designed spider from 1929.
BMW brought out three different concepts, the Vision Future Luxury, MINI Superleggera and Concept Roadster. The new BMW i8 and i3 were also present, along with the limited edition M5.
The BMW Vision Future Luxury study vehicle offers a preview of how exclusive driving pleasure might shape up in the years ahead. Here, pioneering operating systems and driving comfort, innovative lightweight construction technology and a design that opens up a new dimension in automotive elegance come together to create a fascinating interpretation of luxury on four wheels.
Elsewhere, and celebrating its world premiere at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2014, was a roadster in the classical mould. Boasting a hand-made aluminium outer skin, electric drive system and minimalist interior design, the MINI SuperleggeraTM Vision study car fuses British heritage and Italian flair into a recipe for concentrated driving fun and pure emotionality. The Concorso d’Eleganza is also a committed advocate of beauty on two wheels, of course, and BMW Motorrad duly joined the fray with a second world premiere. The BMW Concept Roadster embodies a strikingly dynamic and emotionally powerful interpretation of undiluted riding pleasure. The signature features of this motorcycle study are its contemporary evolution of the classic roadster concept, the latest incarnation of the time-honoured boxer engine, a self-supporting rear structure fashioned from gloss milled aluminium, and innovative LED headlight technology.
