Car brand Rolls-Royce has designed its first ever concept car, billed as a vision for a future of driverless luxury vehicles with a built-in "red carpet" and lighting system that announces its arrival to bystanders (+ slideshow).

Called the Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100, the design aims to "anticipate the mobility demands of the luxury customer of the future".
Unveiled today at London's Roundhouse venue, the concept car includes a roof that glides open with a hinged design based on a clamshell.

This would allow riders to step into the interior without having to bend over. The roof and door would then close automatically.
Many of the signature forms of a Rolls-Royce have been updated in the design for the body of the car. The brand's classic Pantheon grille has been kept and reimagined as a smaller but more prominent frontage for the vehicle.
The designers imagined a Rolls-Royce that could be designed around less mechanical hardware, replacing the majority of the engine space with a luggage compartment.
This also allowed them to make the car narrower, and create a sport-style rear and curved cabin roof, made from black glass.

The wheels are housed in individual cases, with exposed arms and struts that connect to the chassis and also support the hull-shaped body at the front.

Related story: Rolls-Royce uses bamboo and silk to create its "most opulent" car interior

"The 28-inch tall but narrow wheels upon which the car glides ar...