i8 Coupe

Make
BMW
Segment
Coupe

After showing off the concept for the first time in October, Rinspeed has just unveiled its Etos hybrid sports car ahead of the vehicle's official premier at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rinspeed is known for taking themes from the automotive industry and making a unique creation. The theme for the Etos hybrid sports car was "self-driving cars." Obviously this creation is closely based off of the BMW i8. To explore the limits of technology in vehicles, Rinspeed has endowed the Etos with high-tech features that make the driver obsolete.

Rinspeed has really taken technology to another level with the Etos. The highlight of the vehicle's interior is the folding and retracting steering wheel from XF TRW that "disappears in the dashboard" in a few seconds. The disappearing steering wheel provides drivers with more space and the ability to do other things like read a book or nothing. The interior of the vehicle also boasts two curved 21.5-inch ultra-HD monitors that are individually adjustable. The Harman Connected Car technology is the ultimate infotainment experience, since it acts as a personal assistant that thinks, anticipates and provides vital information without distracting passengers. A talking machine sounds pretty distracting to us, but maybe we're just old fashioned.

The system can be controlled through gestures, touch input, voice, or by the push of a button. To provide passengers with a view of the vehicle's surroundings, there are eight HD exterior cameras for an incredible 180-degree panoramic view. The cameras can also act as virtual "exterior mirrors" with people and animals being tracked and detected automatically. What really takes the Etos over the edge is its on-board DJI drone that has its own landing platform in the rear. The drone can shoot videos of the vehicle or be used to heckle other drivers on the road, which is what we would use it for. While the Etos is closely based off of the i8, the sports car has its own distinct look that is even more futuristic than the BMW.