BMW’s Next Gen 7-Series To Let You Play 007 With Remote Control Keyfob And Gesture Control
It's crazy to think what kind of technologies will be commonplace in vehicles within the next 10 or 20 years. Whereas power windows, cruise control, and more recently satellite radio were all once cutting features, today's generation of car buyers may wonder how we ever got by without such amenities. Likewise, the next generation might be accustomed to new technologies BMW is putting in place, like touchscreen displays with gesture controls and key FOBs that take the stress out of parking in tight spaces.
Let's start with the touch display. In the next generation of the BMW 7 Series, the iDrive operating system's monitor will come with a touch display for the very first time. It's a logical extension of all the training we've received on touch devices like smartphones and tablets -- operating the iDrive display will function in much the same way.
If that weren't enough, it's also getting gesture control, another first for BMW's 7 Series. An integrated 3D sensor will detect hand movements, allowing you to control the infotainment system without leaving behind fingerprints. Supposedly the functions will be "extremely intuitive and user-friendly," BMW says. You'll be able to do things like control the volume in audio applications, accept or reject calls, and pair specific gestures with certain functions.
Moving on, the BMW 7 Series will be a great option if you often find yourself limited to park in tight spaces.
"The new BMW 7 Series is the world’s first series-produced car that owners will be able to maneuver in or out of parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel," BMW explains. "The remote control parking option thus allows drivers to access extremely tight parking spaces. Using the likewise newly developed BMW Display Key, the driver can prompt the car to enter or exit a parking space fully automatically."
It doesn't look like you can get out of the vehicle and have it parallel park on its own, though for multi-level garages where things can get a bit cramped, this is a feature that could come in handy for some people.
There's no word yet on when these fancy new features will be offered in the Series 7 or for how much, though we guess it will be north of $75,000 (the starting price of current Series 7 vehicles).
Let's start with the touch display. In the next generation of the BMW 7 Series, the iDrive operating system's monitor will come with a touch display for the very first time. It's a logical extension of all the training we've received on touch devices like smartphones and tablets -- operating the iDrive display will function in much the same way.
If that weren't enough, it's also getting gesture control, another first for BMW's 7 Series. An integrated 3D sensor will detect hand movements, allowing you to control the infotainment system without leaving behind fingerprints. Supposedly the functions will be "extremely intuitive and user-friendly," BMW says. You'll be able to do things like control the volume in audio applications, accept or reject calls, and pair specific gestures with certain functions.
Moving on, the BMW 7 Series will be a great option if you often find yourself limited to park in tight spaces.
"The new BMW 7 Series is the world’s first series-produced car that owners will be able to maneuver in or out of parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel," BMW explains. "The remote control parking option thus allows drivers to access extremely tight parking spaces. Using the likewise newly developed BMW Display Key, the driver can prompt the car to enter or exit a parking space fully automatically."
It doesn't look like you can get out of the vehicle and have it parallel park on its own, though for multi-level garages where things can get a bit cramped, this is a feature that could come in handy for some people.
There's no word yet on when these fancy new features will be offered in the Series 7 or for how much, though we guess it will be north of $75,000 (the starting price of current Series 7 vehicles).
