Report: Next-gen BMW 5- and 7-Series to feature customizable LCD gauges

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Report: Next-gen BMW 5- and 7-Series to feature customizable LCD gauges

Thursday, May 26th, 2011 @ 12:26 p.m.

Digital dashes are certainly anything but new, but the idea of a programmable custom liquid crystal display gauge interface is still gaining ground in the luxury market today.

Not wanting to be left too far in the dust by competitors like Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar-Land Rover, BMW is said to be working on a high-tech LCD, programmable gauge interface of its own for the next-gen 5- and 7-Series sedans, according to Autoblog sources.

The interface system is already underway and will be the result of a joint effort between a team in Munich, Germany, and BMW’s Technology Office located in Mountain View, California. The goal of the collaboration is to create a gauge display that is capable of outputting traditional information such as the speedometer, odometer, tachometer, fuel levels and oil temperature, as well as navigation and other infotainment content – but to do so in an innovative way.

A BMW engineer explained that the goal is not simply to provide a different gauge system from an aesthetics point of view, but rather to innovate and create something from scratch that can better display crucial information to the driver.

How exactly the display will be innovative we may have to wait and see, but we do know there will be some form of customization available to the driver that will be partially tied into the vehicle’s drive mode (Sport or Comfort), optimizing which information should be most emphasized.

References
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2011 BMW 7-Series

The year 2009 brought the newest edition of the bigger Bimmer--and in this, its fifth turn around the block, the player from Munich neatly reverses the styling miscues applied under the old regime, which makes today's 7-Series one of the best-conceived big sedans Bavaria's ever brewed.

Call us converts: The latest BMW 7-Series turns our eyes more than ever and drives with real big-guy brio.

The awkward proportions and surfaces of the 2002-2008 model are gone, and performance is better than ever, too. The quintessential BMW driving feel remains intact, despite a horde of new electronic interventions and a big uptick in size. There's a version, practically, for anyone well-funded enough to lay down a minimum of $70,000 for a four-door sedan. The in-line six versions are sprightly enough; the twin-turbo V-8s are thrusty joys to drive. The V-12 may be overkill for anyone who can't afford one--and the new Hybrid, a first important step into new technology that could use some smoothing over.

Cavernous interior room comes with either the short-wheelbase 7er. Long-wheelbase cars have chauffeur-style room for front and rear-seat passengers. Safety ratings are still on hold, but other features overflow the order sheet--everything from DVD changers to night vision to custom wood and leather trim.

With a base price above $72,000 in the 740i, climbing to more than $135,000 for the 760Li, there's a vast gulf in the 7-Series lineup that leaves lots of wiggle room for the justifications and rationalizations you'll want to make. In that range, the 7-Series' competition includes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS; Porsche Panamera; possibly even the Aston Martin Rapide, if you're willing to sacrifice a lot for beauty.

With slimmer and more exciting proportions--and a much more streamlined cockpit--today's BMW 7-Series makes the prior version look like an ungainly rough draft. See details and best of the Web The big safety agencies haven't scored the 2011 BMW 7-Series, but it gets our highest score from a wealth of standard safety gear, and a good track record for crash protection. See details and best of the Web A simplified iDrive controller and some of the finest high-tech features available fill the 2011 BMW 7-Series with swagger. See details and best of the Web The 2011 BMW 7-Series cuts a wide swath across the EPA's fuel-economy chart; the six-cylinder models fare better than the hybrid. See details and best of the Web An aesthetic high-fiveStartling power, even with six-cylinder versionsHandling's pretty sharp for such a wide, long carThat huge back seatYour choice of nine different modelsGet Dealer Price Quotes The electronic gadgets can feel overwhelmingBMW's iDrive system's getting better--but have you tried MyFord Touch?ActiveHybrid 7 has too much regen baked in at low speedsIs the V-12 worth it?

View the original article here

2011 BMW 7-Series

The year 2009 brought the newest edition of the bigger Bimmer--and in this, its fifth turn around the block, the player from Munich neatly reverses the styling miscues applied under the old regime, which makes today's 7-Series one of the best-conceived big sedans Bavaria's ever brewed.

Call us converts: The latest BMW 7-Series turns our eyes more than ever and drives with real big-guy brio.

The awkward proportions and surfaces of the 2002-2008 model are gone, and performance is better than ever, too. The quintessential BMW driving feel remains intact, despite a horde of new electronic interventions and a big uptick in size. There's a version, practically, for anyone well-funded enough to lay down a minimum of $70,000 for a four-door sedan. The V-6 versions are sprightly enough; the twin-turbo V-8s are thrusty joys to drive. The V-12 may be overkill for anyone who can't afford one--and the new Hybrid, a first important step into new technology that could use some smoothing over.

Cavernous interior room comes with either the short-wheelbase 7er. Long-wheelbase cars have chauffeur-style room for front and rear-seat passengers. Safety ratings are still on hold, but other features overflow the order sheet--everything from DVD changers to night vision to custom wood and leather trim.

With a base price above $72,000 in the 740i, climbing to more than $135,000 for the 760Li, there's a vast gulf in the 7-Series lineup that leaves lots of wiggle room for the justifications and rationalizations you'll want to make. In that range, the 7-Series' competition includes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS; Porsche Panamera; possibly even the Aston Martin Rapide, if you're willing to sacrifice a lot for beauty.

With slimmer and more exciting proportions--and a much more streamlined cockpit--today's BMW 7-Series makes the prior version look like an ungainly rough draft. See details and best of the Web The big safety agencies haven't scored the 2011 BMW 7-Series, but it gets our highest score from a wealth of standard safety gear, and a good track record for crash protection. See details and best of the Web A simplified iDrive controller and some of the finest high-tech features available fill the 2011 BMW 7-Series with swagger. See details and best of the Web The 2011 BMW 7-Series cuts a wide swath across the EPA's fuel-economy chart; the six-cylinder models fare better than the hybrid. See details and best of the Web An aesthetic high-fiveStartling power, even with six-cylinder versionsHandling's pretty sharp for such a wide, long carThat huge back seatYour choice of nine different modelsGet Dealer Price Quotes The electronic gadgets can feel overwhelmingBMW's iDrive system's getting better--but have you tried MyFord Touch?ActiveHybrid 7 has too much regen baked in at low speedsIs the V-12 worth it?

View the original article here

2011 BMW 7-Series

The year 2009 brought the newest edition of the bigger Bimmer--and in this, its fifth turn around the block, the player from Munich neatly reverses the styling miscues applied under the old regime, which makes today's 7-Series one of the best-conceived big sedans Bavaria's ever brewed.

Call us converts: The latest BMW 7-Series turns our eyes more than ever and drives with real big-guy brio.

The awkward proportions and surfaces of the 2002-2008 model are gone, and performance is better than ever, too. The quintessential BMW driving feel remains intact, despite a horde of new electronic interventions and a big uptick in size. There's a version, practically, for anyone well-funded enough to lay down a minimum of $70,000 for a four-door sedan. The V-6 versions are sprightly enough; the twin-turbo V-8s are thrusty joys to drive. The V-12 may be overkill for anyone who can't afford one--and the new Hybrid, a first important step into new technology that could use some smoothing over.

Cavernous interior room comes with either the short-wheelbase 7er. Long-wheelbase cars have chauffeur-style room for front and rear-seat passengers. Safety ratings are still on hold, but other features overflow the order sheet--everything from DVD changers to night vision to custom wood and leather trim.

With a base price above $72,000 in the 740i, climbing to more than $135,000 for the 760Li, there's a vast gulf in the 7-Series lineup that leaves lots of wiggle room for the justifications and rationalizations you'll want to make. In that range, the 7-Series' competition includes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS; Porsche Panamera; possibly even the Aston Martin Rapide, if you're willing to sacrifice a lot for beauty.

With slimmer and more exciting proportions--and a much more streamlined cockpit--today's BMW 7-Series makes the prior version look like an ungainly rough draft. See details and best of the Web The big safety agencies haven't scored the 2011 BMW 7-Series, but it gets our highest score from a wealth of standard safety gear, and a good track record for crash protection. See details and best of the Web A simplified iDrive controller and some of the finest high-tech features available fill the 2011 BMW 7-Series with swagger. See details and best of the Web The 2011 BMW 7-Series cuts a wide swath across the EPA's fuel-economy chart; the six-cylinder models fare better than the hybrid. See details and best of the Web An aesthetic high-fiveStartling power, even with six-cylinder versionsHandling's pretty sharp for such a wide, long carThat huge back seatYour choice of nine different modelsGet Dealer Price Quotes The electronic gadgets can feel overwhelmingBMW's iDrive system's getting better--but have you tried MyFord Touch?ActiveHybrid 7 has too much regen baked in at low speedsIs the V-12 worth it?

View the original article here