In 2001 BMW shook-up the automotive world with iDrive. There were those who loved the concept. In fact Jeremy Clarkson had this to say, “I know it sounds frightening, having one button which does everything, but think of it as the mouse on a computer and it makes perfect sense.” And then there were those that hated the concept. Most arguments centered on the array of confusing menus and the hidden functionality behind them. And there were many people who were simply unconvinced and believed dozens of buttons were simpler solution. But what many missed was that BMW didn’t invent something to simply show that they were progressive. What they were doing was separating driving from information and entertainment functions and thus separating displays from the controls. In other words the main force behind iDrive was to make cars safer.
Fast forward to 2011 and the world has changed even further. We consume data at a rate markedly faster than ten years ago. And with new technology creeping into cars via smartphones there’s a new challenge with technology like iDrive. Thankfully BMW has learned a lot in the years following the launch of that first iDrive HMI system (an industry acronym for human machine interface). They’ve evolved the concept to allow for shortcuts and much more intuitive operation. But more importantly they’ve created a platform that can act as a vehicle for enormous amount of new functionality that weren’t available in 2001. And on top of it all they’ve made it easier to use. How did they manage to pull it off? Read on…
Over the past few days we’ve experienced some extraordinary moments at BMW HQ in Munich. Of course we can’t show you some of the more interesting ones (cameras weren’t allowed inside the Fiz for instance) but we can show you over 200 photos of the BMW Welt, Four Cylinder building and inside the BMW Museum (and the new Art Car exhibit). We’ll have more on the latter soon. Until then, enjoy the photos. (Fully gallery after the break)
Earlier this week we had a chance to get a sneak peak of the Chicago Autoshow. The nation’s largest by attendance, the show is held in the cavernous McCormick center and as is known for being truck centric. But that didn’t stop a us from swinging by and capturing some of the best that the show had to offer. (Gallery after the break)
We’ve got a enormous collection of photos for you from NAIAS so let’s get straight to the point. The 1M was the production star of the show in our eyes followed closely by the 650i and the Paceman. But what about the rest of the show? Porsche’s fabulous 918 RSR was, well fabulous of course. And then there were some surprises from… well let’s not ruin it….
We’re roaming the hall in Detroit capturing everything we can for you. The first order of business was Porsche and their 918 RSR. But of course we couldn’t stay away from MINI and BMW. The latter had the 1M out early and in full view for us to play with. Early notes. Yes it’s a ZHP shift knob. Yes the transmission feels fantastic. No pricing isn’t announced yet (check back in a couple of hours).
Next week at NAIAS we’ll be interview a bevy of BMW executives. As we did last year we’ll be bringing you each interview via BimmerCasts and asking the kind of tough questions we’re often asking ourselves. But we also want your questions to be part of each interview. So we’re inviting the BF readers to submit your questions and requests for BMW and us below in the comment section. And what about a specific shot of the 1M or the new 6 Series? Large or small, let us know what you want to hear about and see.
Over the course 2010 we’ve tested everything from an electric car to a first class cabin wrapped in a BMW (the 5er GT). We raced a $500 car 24 hours, took a pre-production MINI Countryman to the track and we’re one of the first people to see the 1M in person. And during that time we also recorded 30 BimmerCasts touching on every BMW topic you could imagine (you can check them all out here). So for all of you who may have missed some of it, here are our favorite highlights of 2010.
Before we get to the regular features, the topic that generated the most comments (and clicks) from readers was unquestionably the 1M. Here’s a look at some highlights (after the break):
With the grueling 1000 mile (or 10 hours) Petit Le Mans endurance race just hours away we thought we’d try and explain some of what makes these cars so special. Sure the ///M3 in its fourth generation is already a high performance machine from the factory but steps are necessary to make it the best it can be on the track while complying with the sanctioning body rules.
BimmerFile is dedicated to bringing you the most interesting news, links and reviews related to the BMW brand and it's vehicles.
We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: BF Feature, Technology Mar 7th, 2011 1 Comment 
