BMW introducing updated, more customizable iDrive system

It looks like BMW's sometimes derided iDrive system is about to get another boost in features / complexity, with the automaker now apparently readying a whole slew of features that'll add even more customization options to cars using the system. That will apparently include everything from screen savers and sound effects to tweaks in transmission shift points and engine boost levels, which could be customized to either increase fuel economy or improve overall performance. What's more, those changes will apparently be able to be made from any internet-connected computer in addition to from inside the car itself, and you'll be able to save multiple profiles that'll be automatically activated whenever an individual's key fob is in close proximity. Be sure to hit up the read link below for the long list of new features.

[Via Autoblog]

[Sly Fox @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:56PM]

How is this at all practical or necessary. It would be fun for like 2 minutes but who wants to know there "engine boost levels, which could be customized to either increase fuel economy or improve overall performance." when the only person who owns a BMW is one who is loaded so who cares about fuel efficiency?

[Paradox @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:56PM]

I really love BMW acessories, and this one is a must have! specially with the new updated iDrive system, it looks really nice

[bdsams @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:00PM]

I forgot car enthusiasts never bought BMW’s…surely the M3, M5, M6 are merely for those who need extra horsepower to haul their trailers , mobile homes around.

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:14PM]

And your opinion perfectly represents 100% of the consumers who would be likely to consider purchasing a BMW? STFU!

*sigh, Faith in human intelligence index suffers 10% loss...

[a @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:18PM]

If I pay 40K for a twin turbo car and it's putting out 300 HP, you're damn right I'd like to be able to adjust the boost! I agree most people that drive the 'ultimate driving machine' are old ladies, but there ARE people out there who would like this.

I think this is cool. I think your comment is way off.

[Twitchy @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:23PM]

Hey, let's stick with silly generalisations, yes? Life is easier when you're ignorant, rather than facing up to the truth that the market for motor vehicles is considerably more complex than saying "Ford pick-up drivers are rednecks".

[peshue @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:23PM]

Because they care about their cars performance. And even people with cash to spare don't often like throwing it away..

[Andrew @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:17PM]

Did you possibly consider that just because you don't want a feature, doesn't mean someone else doesn't? And how ignorant is it to think that someone wouldn't care about fuel economy. Most people who have money, have it because they are smart about how they spend it.

I for one have a new 335i that I took delivery of last Tuesday, and I would absolutely LOVE to be able to increase my boost to get more power from the car. However, when I'm just cruising, how great would it be to be able to turn it down so that I get higher gas mileage?

[JJV @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:01PM]

you cant really call it an accessory because you cant buy it and put it into another car
its more of an option.

[Splunkster @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:10PM]

bdsams - It's not for pulling trailers, it's for going fast.

[Warren @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:15PM]

Chrome makes a car go faster....duh.

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:16PM]

Sorry Paradox my previous comment was meant for 'Sly Fox'.

Damn mentally handicapped commenting system (trying to be more PC)...

[Sly Fox @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:20PM]

@blowyourmind no im just saying that people who own a BMW obviously can afford it so why would they be worried about gas mileage?

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:37PM]

@Sly Fox, how silly of me, of course a person who has good enough credit to finance a $29k-$40k car must have an unlimited budget for gas...

Oh and they absolutely love spending $60+ to fill up their BMW because they have soooo much gold bullion lying around they can just throw gold coins at the attendant and casually tell him to keep the change!

/sarcasm

[iEye @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:58PM]

One can only hope that there will be new iPod/iPhone features with this new version of iDrive...

[JMMGoalster @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:00PM]

Really now? I never would have expected you to say that....last I knew, you were a Microsoft fanboy.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:28PM]

WTF...is the mention of ipod/iphone inevitable in an forum
i mean seriously...cant people just go without the mention of apple/iphone/ipod

[telepheedian @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:51PM]

A Ban is suggested.

[ThreeDee912 @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:15PM]

I think iEye is really a Microsoft fanboy trying to make everyone hate Apple or something, and I think it's working. He's been posting random pro-Apple crap on every single article.

On some article about batteries: "The great thing about the iPhone is that I can read both posts by bringing up a new page, I'm glad I am not using any other mobile..."
WTF does that have to do with batteries?

He's is just a annoying troll. And this is coming from a happy Mac user.

[Andrew @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:20PM]

Alright, I get tired of hearing about Apple non-stop too, and I'm an Apple user, but you guys need to chill out. I would love it if they'd update their iPod integration. The current implementation is very odd and antiquated. They get data from plugging into the USB, but they feed the audio back through aux.

I'd like to see a new system that would run all through USB so you don't have to worry about changing your iPod's EQ to flat or changing the volume when you use it in the car, and I'd also like to see album art pulled and showed on my iDrive screen. How cool would it be to have the assistance window showing the album art with a text overlay stating the artist, song, time, etc.

[bk7 @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:59PM]

Lets connect all of our possessions to the internet and have a hacking free for all.. and someone hack iEye whilst theyre at it :@

[Zak @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:00PM]

Stop posting that link in every fucking thread, douche.

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:06PM]

I have played with their Idrive on my friends 525i and it's user interface is not the most intuitive.

[Gotung @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:11PM]

how long till:

Im in ur bimmer, stealing ur MPGs!!!!

[Warren @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:13PM]

Lame.

And yes I meant you AND the song.

[digitallysick @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:24PM]

so now I can overclock my car on the fly?

[Dave @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:25PM]

the new idrive user manual expanded edition... now 500 pages on how to turn on the radio and adjust the AC... taking the most complicated POS and turning it into an even worse one.. sometimes one just wants to turn on the AC by turning the knob... not by selecting AC menu function.. clicking drivers side cooler. watching the display and selecting the proper temp.. clicking ok.. going back to main menu to change the radio station.. all with this hockey puck...

[BlowURmindBowel @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:39PM]

But on the up-side it makes it impossible for the person riding shotgun to fcuk with your stereo...

[tyler @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:16PM]

Dave - do you drive a BMW? Mine has an AC switch and I haven't used the climate settings in the idrive since I first set them. For those who take the time to get used to the system, it's very useful.

[rwarren @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:17PM]

There are temperature control knobs to let you adjust the temp without going through the GUI. In fact, most of the basic stereo and climate control functions are available through the steering wheel controls or knobs on the dash. If you want to change more complex things like the hot/cool airflow or which part of your chair you want warm, you'll need to go through the GUI.

[Twitchy @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:36PM]

It took me only a couple of minutes to figure out how to use the thing, and then it was set and forget. Another thing that I find very attractive is that, except for the big knob in the middle of the centre handrest, there is not a plethora of buttons all over the console - you know, like in most other cars with 60+ buttons/dials/levers that each only have one function.

[Andrew @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:23PM]

Even more so, and it may depend on the car you drive, but I have a new 335i and the climate section in iDrive is damn near useless. The only things in there are manual vent settings, auto vent strength, and timed ventilation. Most of the climate control IS still in the form of knobs, which is fine. There really isn't much need for most of it. I just set my recirc and fans to auto, set my temp, and never change it again.

[Alex @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:43PM]

They've kind of already done this.. at least in Europe. You can have different keys with different presets, throttle sensitivity, seat adjustment, etc.

[Alex @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:55PM]

I guess I'll get the chance to use it...

I would make the interface better though before adding more stuff to it.

[MB_User @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:06PM]

Why haven't car manufacturers already starting doing stuff like this? Think about how little customization there is in cars today. Also, there never seem to be any standards for anything we consumers might like to customize, like the dash, navigation system, heck - even steering wheel buttons. Why can't we more easily change things like the headlights (say from regular headlights to H.I.Ds) or the rearview mirrors without seemingly taking the whole car apart? Every car manufacturer has their own way of doing things and it's really frustrating. I don't know a whole lot about cars (obviously), but they just seem very closed off in terms of customization.

// end rant

[Brian @ Feb 26th 2009 5:20PM]

you buy a jap-crap tuner if you want customization.

Your comment sort of reminds me of a GTA 4 radio commercial.

"You're Different. You take a $250,000 car, designed by world-class engineers, and have some guy in East Hook customize it, so it's actually worth a lot less"

[Arkweld @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:13PM]

this version also means you have to wear a special helmet and think the operating commands in German.

[Jonosono @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:20PM]

Is Clint Eastwood in the commercial?

[cantcount @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:27PM]

If you can increase power boost over the internet, couldn't you also shut down all power. I can think of a lot of ways this could be used for good or evil.

Note to self:
When running from government stick to Ferraris.
No, to flashy
Stick to DeLoreans ;)

[Mike @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:39PM]

I really hope someone is thinking about the security/privacy implications of this. Can you imagine someone hacking into your car while you're driving it, and changing the driving controls? Monitoring where you are going through the trip log? The government eavesdropping on your travel patterns?

Most of this stuff does not need to be sent over the internet; you could easily take a laptop with the nice software and plug it into the dashboard when you want to change something.

The only thing in the article that to me seemed like a neat idea to do over the internet, is the music sharing and radio time-shifting. I'd love to be able to choose music from my home system and ship it to the car for a long trip with the click of a mouse, or set up a radio recording while I am at home, so that the car has it later.

But other than the music, I don't see why changing or tracking anything else about the car needs to be done over the internet. A direct jack would be more private, and preferable.

[Andrew @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:31PM]

Knowing BMW it won't only be an opt in feature, but it'll probably be an extra option that you have to pay for. I'm sure there is a way to completely disable it if you don't want to use it. And if you do, I'm sure it will be hosted on a high security and up to date server that BMW owns, which leaves your password as your weakest link, then it's up to people to not be stupid or else suffer their own consequences.

[thatkidmattt @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:45PM]

Too bad it's still a BMW and the people that drive them are still pricks that, on average, think that their car is the best car ever produced.

[Andrew @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:29PM]

I'd take offense to that if BMWs really weren't pretty much the best cars produced for their price range, that is if you really like to drive a car. I enjoy actually driving my car, not just floating around on the road from point a to point b. There's very few other cars in the same price range that drive like a BMW.

But yeah, a lot of BMW drivers are dickheads. Ironically it's a terrible car to drive as a status symbol because they certainly aren't the most reliable cars on the road by a long shot. For someone who wants them as status and doesn't care about cars, the ride is probably too rough for them, the steering is too tight, it's not reliable enough, etc. But for those of us who love to drive, man does it feel good to drive a BMW.

[thatkidmattt @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:47PM]

@Andrew


I love driving my car too... and by no means "float" from anywhere to anywhere else.

Unless you drive an M class (in which case good for you, you have every right to be a prick)... I'd almost always choose a different car.


Lets compare... I drive a 2006 Nissan 350Z: 300 brake horsepower, 260 ft-lbs of torque... it, like the most recent BMW Z4 is a front engine, rear drive 2 seater.

I paid, just over $35k for it... the most recent Z4 costs $5.4k more, and has less horse power, albeit a smaller engine.

My 350Z does just fine getting me from point A to point B in style, and can handle its own in a race - which I've done frequently, against the dumb guidos from south philly that thing they are hot shit because they drive a Z class.

I'm sure there are one or two BMW owners out there that aren't total douchebags, but at the same time... I'd be hard pressed to agree that most BMW cars drive better than anything else in the price range.

You pay for a tag, and the supposed bonuses of "German tuning"

[Andrew @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:40PM]

The 350z is definitely no slouch. I just checked and it ran the ring in the same exact time as the 335i. It certainly depends on what you want out of the car as well though. Being on Engadget, you can guess I like gadgets and toys to tinker with. While the 350z is a very nice driving car, it's certainly not a BMW build and feature wise. However, for something like $10,000 more, it very well may be good enough for you.

The 350z is probably one of the few other cars that can compare, and you have to give it a lot of respect for that. Still, the BMW with the same power, weighing quite a bit more, and quite a bit longer, while skinnier (all around worse for handling), made the same time. So still, I can't think of anything under say $50k that has the handling of a BMW. I'm not saying there isn't one, I just can't think of one.

And trust me, I like all kinds of cars. I just sold a 2003 Cobra and still have another GT. I love the raw power, but I love the BMW for the ridiculous handling. As far as refinement and an overall car, I personally don't think anything beats a BMW, but that doesn't mean it's best for everyone.

I hope you don't think I come across like I'm an elitest because I drive a BMW. I have one because I think they are the best rather than thinking they are the best because I drive one, if you know what I mean.

Oh, and a BMW Z is a girl car. :P

[Jamie Marsden @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:12PM]

Pah.

Everyone knows that all you really need to boost a car's performance are Speed Holes.

[Sung @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:14PM]

Damn, I thought customization meant customizing the interface. Like what functions corresponded to up, down, etc. I find the current iDrive system really archaic. Now if they made it customizable like a Pronto or Universal remote, then I'd be interested. Sure it wouldn't be for everyone, but at least my bimmer would be different from yours.

[duxxyuk @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:17AM]

Screen savers !? I want more indicators not pretty patterns:
Turbo boost pressure
Distance to next poi ( :-p )