BMW may not have a world premiere at Auto Shanghai 2025, but it’s still putting on quite a show. Rather than the usual, often dull static display, the Vision Driving Experience (VDX) was seen in action during BMW Brand Night. Test drivers Jens Klingmann and Elias Houndtonji gave attendees a taste of what the VDX is capable of.
The quad-motor EV successfully climbed a 55-degree, 13-meter ramp as if it were nothing. BMW’s electric sedan features five fans (aka impellers) that quite literally suck the car to the ground. Combined, the fans generate about 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds) of downforce, even when the vehicle is stationary. Running the fans requires 50 kW of energy, but they don’t create any drag.
BMW went the extra mile to keep the VDX glued to the road. Since the four motors deliver unprecedented power, grip usually becomes a problem. Together, the motors produce a staggering 1,700 horsepower and a ludicrous 18,000 Nm (13,269 lb-ft) of peak torque.
Beyond the wild numbers, the VDX is a preview of BMW’s “Heart of Joy” control unit. While the car itself won’t go into production, this new superbrain will power upcoming Neue Klasse models. It processes data ten times faster than BMW’s current systems. If it can manage this level of power and torque, it’ll easily handle the more modest demands of production cars.
The active aerodynamics integrated into the VDX help it generate up to 1.2 tons of downforce and up to 3G of lateral force. Again, it’s overkill for a sedan in the 3 Series class. BMW will launch the regular EV in 2026, but a high-performance M variant is likely to follow around 2028. Of course, the electric M3 won’t be as radical as the VDX, and it won’t look this extreme either.
The VDX is more of a technological demonstrator, showcasing what’s possible. Don’t expect the fans or all the wild aero to make it to production. Still, even if the first electric M won’t be as technically outrageous, it will retain some of the VDX’s DNA. Prototypes of the “ZA0” have already been caught hiding a toned-down design compared to this wacky concept.