Believe me when I say that I know all about the joys of driving. However, I also know that for the majority of folks out there, the automobile is not a platform for enjoyment, but rather a simple tool of transport. Anyone who’s been stuck in a traffic jam or bored to tears on some monotonous highway journey will tell you that from time to time, driving is not so fun. Sometimes, you just want to get there. And when you consider the heavy price we pay for the freedoms that the car provides, both monetarily and in terms of human life, you can’t help but think hat maybe there’s a better way.

Swiss automobile manufacturer and tuning designer Rinspeed->ke73 certainly thinks so. Founded in 1979, Rinspeed specializes in restoring classic cars->ke503 and modifying modern platforms like Porsches->ke1 and Subarus.->ke86 Additionally, it's designed non-production, concept vehicles for the annual Geneva Motor Show->ke228 every year since 1991.

Rinspeed’s latest creation is the Budii. Described as a “friend on wheels," the Budii concept is an electric->ke1030 autonomous vehicle that “will keep learning each day, and as a result will get better and better at mastering the complex challenges of modern-day private transport,” as stated in a press release.

Rinspeed says that the city-dwelling Budii is designed to be “the perfect chauffeur that quickly adapts to the habits and preferences of its ‘boss’.” Although details of how the driver AI will adjust its behavior are rough, we do know that the car “will take data from its environment and the ‘experiences’ of other vehicles along its route into account.”

While vague, we can speculate that the “preferences of its ‘boss’" might reference a particular route that the driver/passenger may enjoy, while “environment and the ‘experiences’ of other vehicles” could be shared car-to-car information like road and traffic conditions.

Either way, a self-driving car that has the ability to adapt and learn sounds great to us. If it eases the more tedious parts of driving, while also making the roads safer, it’s an idea that’s hard to argue against. Just don’t plug it into Skynet, and we’ll give it our approval.

Click past the jump to read more about the Rinspeed Budii Concept.

2015 Rinspeed Budii

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Rinspeed Budii
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

From these concept renderings, the Budii shares an awful lot of lines with the BMW i3, which would make sense given its stated EV powertrain. Mounted to the roof, we see what could only be a sensor pack that acts as the eyes and ears for the driver AI. The rest of the body is streamlined for low drag to maximize electric efficiency. Large wheels add a bit of visual flair, while the elongated windshield offers ample viewing of the outside world, whether it’s for driving or relaxing.

Interior

The most attention-worthy aspect of the interior is the movable manual-control steering wheel, which can sit in three different positions depending on situation and preference; “the steering wheel is supported by a state-of-the-art sensitive robot arm, which enables both the driver and the front passenger to steer,” Rinspeed says in a press release. “And if nobody feels like steering, it is simply parked in center position.” I like this, as it suggests the retention of pleasure driving alongside the automated grind of A-to-B commuting. In addition to the dynamic features up front, there’s also space for passengers in the back, which we imagine is complimented by a pillar-less set of rear doors to aid ingress and egress.

Drivetrain

As an “electrically powered eye-catcher”, we can only assume Rinspeed foresees the Budii to be powered by the same lithium-ion battery and electric motor found in the BMW i3, with around 130 kW (170 horsepower) available under the hood. While not exactly quick, the instant torque and lightweight shell should provide for some fun if a human decides to take the wheel. Maybe there could even be a high-performance hybrid version as well. We just imagine a HAL 9000-esque voice coming in over the stereo system: “you appear to be driving quite spiritedly. Just what do you think you’re doing, Dave?”

Prices

A normal BMW i3 is priced around $40,000, but with all the nifty features that Rinspeed proposes in the Budii concept, that figure could easily triple. However, if folks are willing to shell out $6,000 for a Lamborghini-branded cellphone, something this innovative is sure to get its fair share of buyers. It’s technology that’s cutting edge and in high demand, and that usually makes for one very expensive product. But still, think of all the stress you’ll save by kicking back as your personalized driving AI whisks you to-and-fro. For anyone who commutes with any regularity, the Budii can’t come soon enough.

Competition

While there are no direct competitors to the Budii, I must note that Audi, Mercedes, Ford, and several other automakers are all racing to create their own working versions of autonomous cars. It’s a trend that certainly doesn’t look like it’s going away, and while a highway filled with AI drivers could be just over the horizon, which automaker will actually make it work first remains to be seen.

Conclusion

The Rinspeed Budii is a very cool idea. If you’re going to have an autonomous car, it only makes sense to endow it with the ability to adapt to road conditions and personal taste. However, there are still a lot of questions around autonomous cars that remain unanswered. Liability, for one, is a rather hefty issue. How an AI will handle the (at times, unpredictable) behavior of human motorists is another. Will the formula and algorithms be able to compensate for human error with the same agility as the intuition of a real brain? Our guts tell us yes, but odds are it’ll take a few years to iron out all the kinks. The question is: how much would you trust the first-generation driver AI?