Drivers of hot BMWs will soon be able to hold their own timed drag races from within their car’s infotainment system. This is thanks to a suite of new BMW M apps designed to enhance and gamify the driving experience.

 

The new M Cockpit, M Drag Meter, and M Channel apps are exclusive to M Sport and full-blooded M versions of the new BMW iX3 as well as other forthcoming Neue Klasse models. The apps come as part of a ‘BMW Digital Premium Package’ that costs £300 and can be selected as part of the configuration process, or paid for and downloaded over-the-air by owners subsequent to taking delivery.

 

Perhaps the most interesting of the three is the ‘M Drag Meter’ which, as the name suggests, provides a variety of additional data and insights for drag racing. With the iX3 50 xDrive capable of 0-62mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds, the M Drag Meter app can supply driver reaction, acceleration and quarter-mile times. Plus, it can even display a functioning ‘Christmas tree’ starting light, just like on a real drag strip.