BMW XM Mystique Allure Revealed As Sequined Velvet One-Off By Naomi Campbell

BMW has taken to the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival to show off its latest creation: the XM Mystique Allure, developed in collaboration with supermodel Naomi Campbell. The one-off creation was made to show BMW’s understanding of high fashion and exclusive materials and is covered in glittering sequins and velvet to create a shimmering image that is unlike anything else in the world. Presumably, this makes the XM Mystique Allure the first car that requires dry cleaning. The coloring of this couture car is inspired by Naomi’s favorite hue but does not have a specific name, although it’s not dissimilar to hues like Frozen Portimao Blue, Metropolitan Blue Metallic, and Frozen Marina Bay Blue Metallic.

Unusual Materials Inspired By Haute Couture

Thanks to this mix of sequins and velvet, the color of the car is continually shifting depending on your vantage point, from an intense violet to a deep ultramarine hue. The sequined fabric has a matte finish and was created by Swiss manufacturer Jakob Schlaepfer, who has supplied textiles in the past to the likes of Dior and Chanel, but even with the best materials from the world of fashion, there were unique challenges.

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New methods had to be developed for applying textiles to the body, and thanks to the size of the XM, designers were also constrained by the available width of the chosen material rolls. Extensive 3D modeling helped make this dream a reality, and the effect is certainly eye-catching. Inside, velvet was used to trim the entire cabin, while the ambient lighting was altered to maximize the impact of these new materials and their textures.

Hans Zimmer Soundscape

Film composer Hans Zimmer developed the soundscapes on BMW EVs like the i4 and iX, and he was recalled to update the sounds the XM makes when the hybrid drivetrain is in its all-electric mode. Unfortunately, BMW has yet to publish a video or audio of this soundscape, but we’ll update this article when that happens. For now, we have to take the composer’s word that it’s something special.

Thankfully, there are no plans to put this attention-grabbing design exercise into production, but we suspect this won’t be the last time that BMW experiments with fabric. It’s also not the first; the BMW GINA Light Visionary Model concept car used a fabric skin to shift the shapes of its body, depending on preference or even aerodynamic requirements. This technology was patented by BMW as recently as 2020, so perhaps textile-finished cars will still make it into production someday. We won’t mind if they don’t, though.

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Plans also call for additional Neue Klasse models in the future.