Video: Demonstration of the soon to be available BMW 'Auto park' technology

I couldn't agree more.

Call me crazy but do I really want people on the road driving a car at 80mph if they are too clumsy to parallel park it?

1. Bmw came up with i-drive
2. Mercedes & Audi first in a long line to adopt it.

Doesn't Toyota/Lexus already have the auto parking feature anyway?

EXACTLY i agree with you wilkie. nobody is asking you to buy the car. i have a 650i and every feature is helpful, people who dont understand the iDrive really need to go back to school or something because it really isnt that hard. this new feature should attract more buyers to the 5 6 and 7 series including the X5. the feature should be there just incase you cant park it, maybe for the ladies who from experiance with my girlfriend cant parallel park my car . so it seems like BMW is headed in the right direction with this one...to you guys who think this is a stupid idea you should go test drive a 6 series or a 7, from what you guys are talking about you never have stepped foot or driven one of these vehicles.

EXACTLY i agree with you wilkie. nobody is asking you to buy the car. i have a 650i and every feature is helpful, people who dont understand the iDrive really need to go back to school or something because it really isnt that hard. this new feature should attract more buyers to the 5 6 and 7 series including the X5. the feature should be there just incase you cant park it, maybe for the ladies who from experiance with my girlfriend cant parallel park my car . so it seems like BMW is headed in the right direction with this one...to you guys who think this is a stupid idea you should go test drive a 6 series or a 7, from what you guys are talking about you never have stepped foot or driven one of these vehicles.

if you've ever seen what it takes to parallel park on narrow european streets, you'll know why somebody thought this up. Pretty useless in North America.

Yes a parking system was introduced on the new LS. But i don't remember if it completely parks the car for you or just provides guidlines on the screen. I think this will be extremely useful. I'd say 90% of the females I know cannot parallel park, and will even refuse to park in an urban environment unless they can just pull into a parking garage or a space that has only one adjacent car, like in a corner space. Heck I know some men that can barely parallel park. People will love this technology since it is one of the biggest fears for most drivers. <br>
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And yes I agree, if this video was of an Audi or Lexus, all the BMW bashers would hail it as superior technology and cutting edge. I mean 001Buster stated that Audi only invests in "useful" technology. I feel a self-parking system is very useful. Its not like its an in-car toe nail clipping system. Of course something like this is only successful if it works in real life situations. Or else it just becames an expensive technology that gets abandon a la most of GM's innovations.

001 is just bashing BMW unnecesserly,if today Audi has invented this technology,he would have love love this option of Auto Park.And also would have wrote a whole big story on it describing how it works and how it's useful.

Well i think this option is great,and moreover will be very useful,helpful and careful for many.
Like it will help many women,new drivers...etc

JUGNU

001 is just bashing BMW unnecesserly,if today Audi has invented this technology,he would have love love this option of Auto Park.And also would have wrote a whole big story on it describing how it works and how it's useful.

Well i think this option is great,and moreover will be very useful,helpful and careful for many.
Like it will help many women,new drivers...etc

JUGNU

I know quite a few people who need this! LOL....I know a lot of us here think this is a useless feature, but remember most of us here are car enthusiasts and we know how to drive. A few of my friends however, scare the livin daylights out of me when they attempt to parallel park. I know a girl who owns a Bimmer 3 series and has scuffed the hell outta her wheels due to her lack of parallel parking skills....If I am with her, she makes me do it! LOL....So while this may be useless to most of us readers and commenters here, there is a market for this type of technology.

Just think of the show off value! Hours of entertainment!

001Buster: Is ABS for people that don't know how to modulate their own brakes? Is power steering for people that are too weak to turn a steering wheel (especially when parallel parking)? Is traction control for people who don't know how to drive safely? Is AWD for people that don't know how to drive in the rain or snow? Is navigation for people that are too stupid to read a map? C'mon give me a break! BTW, all these features are in most new Audi vehicles. All carmakers are going to create new innovations, some of them work in production, some of them don't. Once again, your BMW bashing is so tiring. It's just an interesting creation, who cares what automaker its from, as long as it can benefit the public and the industry as a whole, I see that as a positive thing, just like all the features I mentioned above.

Anyone can nitpick every automotive technological innovation as significant or useless. Yes BMW could put the engineering efforts to other uses but they have enough money and resources to devote to various R&D projects, just like Lexus, Audi, and Mercedes are constantly working no new developments.

BTW, I like that idea of the under seat contraption to relieve yourself. Hey maybe it can be used to "relieve yourself" in a different way, hahahaha.

Is is necessary? Well no, but with all the technology being pouring into cars to offer features that other manufacturers don't makes this market. It's just like night vision, do you really need it? Do you really NEED navigation? No, but it makes life easier for the rich ace-holes that get them. That's the only thing that gives a luxury car an edge anymore.

Over equipping vehicles does get them into trouble, but these are the pointless features that the rich old folk that can afford them are looking for. If they wanted function they would buy a Toyota......if they want all the features to brag to friends about they get one of these cars. Not saying it is good or bad, just making a point. Calm yourself.

Just wondering which car is the one in the simulation? The one showing the lateral rays to determine the parking space.

No.. Steam is incredibly corrosive, and will destroy components quickly. If it does perform better, will it holdup?

"Comment: 1. Bmw came up with i-drive
2. Mercedes & Audi first in a long line to adopt it."


What line? They are the first in a line of 2 to adopt it.

Welcome to 2004 when Toyota launched the feature with the Prius.