Rolls-Royce defends 103EX design

If you missed the June reveal of Rolls-Royce's striking 103EX concept car, which was designed to celebrate the centenary of parent company BMW Group, you can get an eyeful right here.

Riding on massive 29-inch alloy wheels, measuring 5.9 metres long and featuring a unique rear sofa accessed via an opening roof and suicide door, the 103EX – officially known as the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 – is one of the wildest concept car designs we've ever seen.

Rolls-Royce Global Product Communications Manager, Andrew Boyle, told motoring.com.au the space-age behemoth, which was met with a combination of confusion and derision from some quarters, was designed to be controversial.

"So that 103EX was a real example of where we could go – but it was only one example," he said.

"It may not be to everyone's taste, but I think it's important that we be controversial, because it allows people to have a conversation. It allows people to debate the future of the brand."

With no steering wheel and no driver, the 103EX – which even ditches the British ultra-luxury brand's famous V12 engine for an all-electric powertrain -- is the ultimate artificially-intelligent chauffeur-driven vehicle, according to the company.

Although the fully-autonomous vehicle is unlikely to influence the brand's current and very conservative design ethos, Boyle stated: "We'd rather that than create a very dumbed down version of a car that wouldn't be of interest."

Rolls-Royce's vision of the future and the driving force behind the dramatic 103EX design is that owners would take the company's Bespoke customisation services beyond what's available today and completely design their vehicle from the wheels up.

"I would say that first of all, 103EX is a vision vehicle, a statement of where we could possibly go as a brand in the next 30, 40, 50 years. But the personality of the brand is very much wrapped up with the personality of its owners, its customers."