[Mani59]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Honestly what in the flying **** is this.

This company's self-image is shattered. Very bizarre marketing campaigns.

Agree with you there! Very bizarre.

[duky]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

It is a weird path for BMW to take IMHO. One that I'm struggling to understand.

Compare it to what MB just displayed with HyperScreen and you are left wondering how BMW might be on a losing path against MB in this area when they were ahead of them for so long. Voice tech is a key part of the future of car infotainment systems, but they aren't the main focus. I am very happy that my iDrive 7 car understands me most of the time when I'm asking it to take me somewhere and that's about all I use it for...

But displaying map data well and contacts well and all that jazz is important. I'm in my car going somewhere and needing to do things along the way and all of this tech should be about helping me do both of these things better. I'm not interested in holding a conversation with my car. That's what my passenger is there for

And somehow it looks worse than iDrive 7...

Came here to type exactly this. The system looks trash and outdated I don’t know what BMW is thinking here. It legitimately looks like a beta to me. Hopefully they get their acts together after seeing what Benz is doing with the S and EQS

[antzcrashing]

Nice writeup.

In 2004 it became the first carmaker to present a Head-Up Display, which projected relevant driving information onto the windscreen in the driver's direct line of sight.
- I did not know this

FWIW I now love idrive and can't image operating a modern car without it. He new audi's are all touchscreen I believe, which is gross, because fingerprints and focusing your eyes on the target button which has no touch/feel feedback. I hope BMW continues to keep an idrive knob even as it adopts touchscreen.

[TXSchnee]

This is a bizarre decision by BMW as a whole. I am far younger than the average BMW buyer and this commercial just does not sit well at all. I already hated the new design language, but the "you're just an old, and not who we want to buy our cars" reaction to the feedback on the new design language is ruining any possibility that I will buy another BMW. I care far more about driving dynamics than the tech in my vehicle. Sharing this article because it is spot on: https://jalopnik.com/bmw-needs-to-st...ple-1846044462

[mckman]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

This is a bizarre decision by BMW as a whole. I am far younger than the average BMW buyer and this commercial just does not sit well at all. I already hated the new design language, but the "you're just an old, and not who we want to buy our cars" reaction to the feedback on the new design language is ruining any possibility that I will buy another BMW. I care far more about driving dynamics than the tech in my vehicle. Sharing this article because it is spot on: https://jalopnik.com/bmw-needs-to-st...ple-1846044462

Thanks for the link. Spot on indeed.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by -EndOfAnEra-

I laughed out loud at this insanity! Good to see BMW finally admitting they understand the controversy!

..mocking the past innovations is very, very unbecoming of BMW.

[GOLFFRR]

the marketing direction seems to have really shifted these days

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by velvet_F82

The marketing is beyond cringe.

BMW is truly lost these days.

Agreed, there are a thousand ways to be 'now' and impress without resorting to the trend of silencing detractors as 'boomers' and mocking past tech innovations when one could explain the evolution.

ICE will perish in due time, but there is no need to mock "12 cylinders" to herald in an inevitable electric future....

[Lovegreatcars]

Here's the answer for all those complaining about why they do stuff:

https://bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1790619

For clarity, i'm not in favor of a lot of the stuff they've done/do. But the numbers speak for themselves.

[JTO24]

Originally Posted by antzcrashing

Nice writeup.

In 2004 it became the first carmaker to present a Head-Up Display, which projected relevant driving information onto the windscreen in the driver's direct line of sight.
- I did not know this

FWIW I now love idrive and can't image operating a modern car without it. He new audi's are all touchscreen I believe, which is gross, because fingerprints and focusing your eyes on the target button which has no touch/feel feedback. I hope BMW continues to keep an idrive knob even as it adopts touchscreen.

The Pontiac Grand Prix had HUD back in 97.. I guess BMW was the first to put other information beside the speed?

[jmack123]

Originally Posted by alex2364

So the future of BMW is a talking car?

The future of all cars are talking cars.

[bjcarls]

At the end of the day if the iNext can't match (or come very close) the current range of Tesla it will be another defeat.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by jmack123

The future of all cars are talking cars.

"huh??"

-Boomers

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

Glad they kept the rotary knob, but still kind of annoyed at the lack of physical HVAC controls. Seems like they are pushing towards a more "touchscreen" experience and will eventually get rid of the knob entirely. And they need to quit with these weird gauge cluster designs, just give us more options.

They're going to save a lot of money. Tesla has been doing the large display as a cost saver since inception.

Just imagine if someone like the NHTSA banned controls which were not tactile under the premise that the lack of feedback caused drivers to take their eyes off the road.

[M2Cmtl]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

Nobody likes the counterintuitive boomerang gauges. Why can't they just give us digital round gauges like everyone else or at least alternative dials to switch to like MB where you can cycle through a bunch of different displays.

This times a million. Especially in the M cars, I would love to have a classice gauge setup. No map, no useless metrics. I'm slowly getting used to the M3/M4 front end but the gauges are just horrible to look at.

[Drop the hammer]

The digital gauges are a real miss. Kind of the same way the grills and headlights have lost their heritage design cues to homologate and unify the brand.
They have a huge opportunity with digital gauges. They can be designed to look really good and sporty and retain their heritage race inspired look, and to bring to that additional info that the driver needs, yet they choose to not use the opportunity for this. Instead they use a digital cluster to create reverse swinging strangely layer out gauges, that just don’t make sense. I know a person would get used to it, but it’s just dumb they went this route. And missed an opportunity. Good news is the new cars are basically overpriced throw aways or leases and I won’t be in one for long anyways as I slowly transfer my fleet of sports cars to brands that are more appealing. Even my wife’s Hyundai palisade had a much better cluster.

[cc3]

German car giant BMW has outraged motorists with a controversial 'bull***t' online marketing video that critics say mocks its older core baby-boomer customers and denigrates one of the firm's most successful flagship limousines - the classic 7-series.

It may also hit sales as motorists take to social media to say they took the insults 'personally' and won't buy another BMW.

One commented: 'It's like they genuinely HATE people who have one of their older cars. And by 'older', I mean made before 2017.'

[bmrm396]

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

the marketing direction seems to have really shifted these days

yup, riiiiiight into the dumpster ...

[Humdizzle]

of course BMW hates older cars.... their whole company is a rental agency now pushing leases instead of buying. They want to make those of us with used cars or paid off cars feel bad and get the new thing.

the new video they put out about the weight savings was very misleading too. comparing the heaviest f82 config with the lightest g82.

[OnlyGerman]

Mocking a true legend is a dumb move...who staffs their marketing dept, fresh from college? Gotta say Mercedes would have done it with more class.

[Game]

Felt like I was watching a Disney movie.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

I care far more about driving dynamics than the tech in my vehicle.

BMW's driving dynamics, combined with general utility, are why I'm still with the marque. And I'm okay with spending an additional $15K in the aftermarket to get the dynamics adjusted to where I want them to be. The minor tech features in my car have been superfluous, including the now common driving modes.