Rinspeed XchangE: Futuristic Autonomous Car

Swiss designers and coachbuilders, Rinspeed, came to Geneva and showed off what they consider to be the future of autonomous driving vehicles with their ultra high tech, luxurious XchangE Concept. Built on top of a Tesla Model S, the concept car aims to redefine what it means to drive.

Keeping in mind that the vehicle is just a concept and this technology isn’t yet ready for the roadways, Rinspeed imagines a future where a car becomes a mobile lounge. Patterned after the business-class cabins of airliners, the interior includes plush, reclining front seats that not only have built-in, stowable footrests, but also swivel 180 degrees to allow front-seat passengers to face each other or the rear seats.

Rinspeed envisions that, once the car is traveling on a major highway, the car will take over 100% of the driving, allowing both the passengers and the driver to relax. To accommodate that, the steering wheel slides out of the way, there’s a built-in espresso machine, the rear seat folds down to unveil a flatscreen TV and computer monitor, and the seats recline to a nearly flat position.

The interior is specifically designed to create soothing environment from the bespoke upholstery in muted colors to hundreds of LEDs embedded in the headliner and dash that wash the passengers in calming colors. Our favorite feature? The automatic watch winder built into the dashboard – quite possibly the most expensive watch winder ever conceived.