BMW showed off its new M2 Coupe that was enhanced by the M Mixed Reality tech

BMW demonstrated its M2 Coupe paired with its M Mixed Reality technology platform during the Web Summit 2022 event in Lisbon, Portugal. Virtual reality and mixed reality technologies help power the platform, with the virtual and physical worlds meeting together.

Using the MR platform let participants wear a Varjo XR-3 VR headset to control the M2 on a virtual racetrack - while physically in an empty lot. The immersive in-car experience allows drivers to see their hands, the steering wheel, and the car's dashboard directly in front. The coupe essentially becomes the controller, with BMW thanking gaming partners like Epic.

Driver head movement is tracked by a dashboard-mounted camera facing inside the car. People that tested the system said it was able to track with very little lag, as the headset is connected to a computer located in the trunk.

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The Mixed Reality system captures any movement made by the M2, and then it's used in the MR system. Drivers can physically see what they're doing, with the headset able to analyze the car's movement and what the driver is doing - this should help reduce cases of motion sickness.

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Here is what Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M, said in a statement: "We won't just be bringing digital services into the vehicle. The vehicle will merge with the physical and virtual worlds of the users. They may want to drive vehicles that they own in real life in the latest racing game."

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The M2 has a six-cylinder engine that provides 460 horsepower and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The coupe takes 4.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph - and a manual transmission model is available.

It's no secret that modern vehicles are packed full of computer chips and software, all designed to help drivers and passengers. Something like mixed reality has evolved into something for engineers to use to help develop next-generation vehicles that traditional engineering tools cannot do. Although the VR headset alone is more than $6,500, so don't expect to see this deployed to your local BMW dealership anytime soon.