BMW PARK ASSIST

What is this. BMW copies Toyota? What has the world come to. ;-)

hahahaha

— kart1 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 1:42:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Will - the Bosch system was bought by several companies. The Lex was the first new car. BMW will have a new car next year so you should see this system there.

Park assist is a cool feature but few will want to pay the thousands it cost. I like toys though so sign me up

— IamEvilHomer (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 12:43:36 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

actually a park assist isnt developed overnight. so copying.. no.. improving .. yes

i still think park assist is useless

but this one actually parks a car in your garage as well as into regular parking spaces. oh and the main point is that NO DRIVER INPUT IS REQUIRED. unlike the lexus .. where you have to finish the job.

— luvmybmr (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 1:43:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Let's see first the platform sharing now this - BMW fans you're loosing all that is precious to you. But its okay right, since BMW is doing it there's no problem with it.

— kart1 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 1:45:47 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

"I'm sure Toyota will have updated their system as well."

yea, once again toyota will be on the rebound.

oh and btw the reason the system would take three years to come into effect, is because the driver is no longer in the car. and the car has to think on itself 100%, i.e. watch out for pedestrians who jump out infront of it. etc.

— luvmybmr (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 1:50:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

I agree such systems are truly useless, worthless features that only bring the car cost higher. What idiot would want to push a button and have his car park itself in the garage, if I made it all the way home why don't I just drive all the way into the garage THEN leave the car so I wouldn't walk under the rain, instead of leaving my car outside and push a button and have my car pull intself in the garage. Park assist found in many cars is an impressive technology but are they really useful? One that I can think it MIGHT be useful is Toyota/Lexus pulling side way between two cars, but still would not pay a penny to have that option in my car.

— Designer1 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 1:58:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -4   

sexiness? :)

or just the fact that it isnt an LS

— luvmybmr (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 2:23:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

See! I said it about a year ago...BMW's version of the park assist would kill the non-intuitive Lexus version. The BMW version will handle the pedals & everything, parallel park at the push of a button, & make tight parking spaces available in a large 7-series.

Those who feel park assist is useless probably don't live n the city. It would be great to not have to squeeze out your car in a tight space, & it's great for Orientals taking a year to parallel park in rush hour traffic.

I will agree for once BMW looked to Lexus for an idea, but that said...Lexus's version of park assist is nothing but useless technology.

— MunichRob (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 2:52:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

The Lexus system requires little driver involvement eitehr. If you've seen it in action, you know that the most important role the driver has is to choose the distance between front and rear vehciles once the vehicle has pulled itself into its spot.

Now I dont know how often y'all parallel park, but this decision varies every time I park. Do you park closer to the car behind you, because the one in front will need more room to get out? Do you move up because the car in front can easily drive off, whereas the one behind needs to work his way out of a tight spot. Lexus very smartly left this final decision to the driver.

Stop criticizing a feature which you dont know enough about. And stop saying how much better the Bimmer system will be, when no one has come close to trying it yet. And while we're stopping things, MunichRob stop with the racism. Okay, now I'll stop writing.

— 1970toyotamarc (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 3:46:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

For the record, Oriental does mean coming from Asian origin, not a rug.

"1970toyotamarc" I've seen countless videos of the LS's parking feature & can see for myself, it's not very quick, easy, or convenient to use.

Also you're wrong on the testing part...Half a year ago autospies posted a video of the BMW version in works on a 5-Series, showing it works by the push of a button, two pushes of the button to be exact.

Also I'm not racist either, it's actually a fact that Asian drivers are not as skilled as American or European drivers.

— MunichRob (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 4:46:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

I can see the Toyota Brady Bunch is hard at work feeding people the usual BS.

When are you guys going to get it?
The Japanese manufacturers never brought anything useful to the table. The only thing they did was to force everybody to make cheap crapy cars.

You guys might want to read the following before continuing your usual TOILET crap.

"In 1992, Volkswagen employed self-parking technology in its IRVW (Integrated Research Volkswagen) Futura concept car. The IRVW parked with full autonomy – the driver could get out of the car and watch as it parked itself. A PC-sized computer in the trunk controlled the system. Volkswagen estimated that this feature would've added about $3,000 to the price of a car, and it was never offered on a production model.

In 2003, Toyota began offering a self-parking option, called Intelligent Parking Assist, on its Japanese Prius hybrid."

Seems to me that it took them 11 years to COPY yet another German invention.

— Ben55 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 4:47:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

"I can see the Toyota Brady Bunch is hard at work feeding people the usual BS."

The German Partridge family is working quite hard too.

— kart1 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 5:52:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

well this is still in the preliminary stages, its not the final product.. the lexus LS needs a couple of feet in the front and back to park itself.. so whats a mere 8 inches?

— luvmybmr (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 6:32:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

More like Masters at copying German technology and claiming it as their own.
Did you notice that the VW system was fully automated back in 1992?
Toyota is 11 years late for the party and come out with some half ass self parking that requires brake input and it doesn't even finish the parking job.

Somebody fell asleep at TCD (Toyota Cloning Department).

— Ben55 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 6:33:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

But doesn't a BMW lose some of its appeal with any kind of auto-park feature?

Surely those who want the "ultimate driving machine" would want to get the most out of even those last few moments driving into their garage.

— answer (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 7:09:08 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Don't you all know?...since this is a BMW that we're talking about, it will be the best system, and forget about tht others who have similar system because they don't count since they have no heritage or are copycats, or are not an enthusiat's company. And remember, when you push the button to start the parking process you will get the "magical feel" that everyone talks about. How could anyone argue against this!?

— cynic (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 8:54:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

BMW - Soon to be known as the "Ultimate Parking Machine".

— GrimREAPER (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 10:40:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

parking in the garage with soul, feel, magic etc.....
cant wait.

— sewingmachine (View Profile)

Posted on 10/18/2006 10:59:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Gee, I wonder how NASA lands that Space Shuttle and at night?

hmmm, I guess the pilot just looks out the window holding a flashlight down at the runway for those perfect landings.

In fact, I think Disneyland had a display about self parking cars back in 1967.

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 12:33:58 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Will the DMV allow this self paking crap on when taking a driving test.

Well maybe for the ladies that have trouble.

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 12:36:50 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

The US Navy has using this technology for many decades with the way they land jets onto aircraft carriers at night in total darkness.

And all the car companies would like to thank Toyota for making a self parking system that is cheap enough to put in production model cars because now all the car companies can just get a car and take the PCB apart and make their version.

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 12:47:30 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

adoptgreyhound Toyota does not use Bosch and Simens ,they use Denso!And for the record Toyota had the technology first and BMW just plain sucks !!!

— 2JZSoarer (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 12:56:10 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Lexus toyota Bmw whoever there all copying mercedes infact who were the first to introduce radar sensors in there cars and without this we wouldnt have progressed to this sort of technology

— DrCallosum (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 2:05:58 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

"2JZSoarer"

From what I hear VW introduced this technology back in 92' on a concept car, so technically they had it first. Their version just never went into production for some reason.

— MunichRob (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 2:47:45 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

While I have not read this artice at all nor have I read any of tha posts, I'm jus gonna say that park assist is tha most useless "innovation" on a car, since that handle thats located up by your head and in some cars even drivers can use it to rest their hands.

Come on now, I thougnt you were supposed to have both of your hands on steering wheel, and not havin one of your hands rest so that you can fall asleep and cause accident.

But again, without even reading any posts I know that "Will" and company are claiming Toy ota came with this "revolutionary" innovation... as well as that useless handle I was talkin about.

Only ppl that drive Lexus seem need these useless "innovations," lol.


G

— RefuG (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 4:58:53 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

nothing is validated in the market until BMW launches it. Its the privelege of being a market leader and the the owner of the "best' brand in all of automotordom.

— AmazingBimmer (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 10:29:53 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

I'm waiting for the day there is a "Will" post that doesn't mention Lexus or Toyota. Liking a manufacturer is understandable, but c'mon already.

— phantom330 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 10:31:09 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

None of these systems will prevent your trophy bride from scuffing your $20K rims trying to reach the ATM!
Can BMW come up with a system for that please.

— Neverfollow (View Profile)

Posted on 10/19/2006 11:58:56 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Wow, only the 2nd time in history where the originators released their product after the copiers. The 1st time being Honda/Acura copying Audi 4 years before Audi had a chance to invent their current designs.

I agree with whoever said it before, auto-park is kinda useless. If you can't do that, you probably shouldn't be driving.

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/22/2006 1:16:22 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1