The BMW Isetta is one of the strangest cars ever conceived and according to these renderings, may have arrived 70 years ahead of its time.

It’s no secret that the population of the world’s megacities are expected to swell at unprecedented rates in the coming decades, meaning small cars could become more useful than ever before. Fittingly, designer Justin Hyunjung Cho has dreamt up how a modern-day BMW Isetta could act as the perfect car for city dwellers.

Like the original, the new Isetta is extremely compact and lacks traditional doors. Instead, occupants enter through the front windscreen which slides up over the roof. Inside, space has been maximized by the removal of traditional controls, including a steering wheel, leaving the car itself in charge of all driving.

A modern Isetta could also serve as part of BMW’s ReachNow ride-sharing service, allowing users to order an Isetta through their smartphone and enjoy being driven anywhere within a city without a worry in the world.

Until we saw these renderings, we never even entertained the idea of a new Isetta for the city of the future. However, after seeing them, we can’t help but think this is a stroke of genius.

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