How does the BMW Head-Up Display work?
When I am in the middle of rush-hour traffi c, I
don’t want to take my eyes off the road even for
a second. Otherwise I miss my turn-off. Luckily,
I don’t have to – the full-colour BMW Head-Up
Display projects navigation instructions and
other important information on the windscreen,
directly in my fi eld of vision. The display looks
as though it were fl oating above the bonnet.
How does that work? Inside the dashboard
support structure, there is a monitor, similar to
the display in a mobile phone. LEDs generate
an image on this display. This is projected onto
the windscreen via four mirrors, like in a slide
projector. In the process, its size is magnifi ed
six times. And although the display is refl ected
on the windscreen, due to the clever optical
arrangement it appears to the driver to be
about two metres away. The eyes don’t have
to refocus, making driving less tiring. The driver
is less distracted and more relaxed, because
there is no need to move the eyes from the
instrument cluster to the road and back.
What’s the benefi t of Integral Active
Steering? With a BMW, a trip into the
mountains is highly enjoyable: twisting roads
make a welcome change from monotonous
driving on the motorway. The responses of
the BMW Series Touring are immediate
and direct. But why is it that I stay so relaxed
even in the tightest corners? The Integral
Active Steering with rear-wheel steering varies
the steering effort in line with vehicle speed,
using Servotronic. For the fi rst time, the
system controls the steering angle of the rear
wheels along with that of the front wheels.
This makes for added precision on twisting
mountain roads and enhances control for
quick lane changes on the motorway.
What does the Speed Limit Info incl. no-
overtaking indicator do?
It’s a weekend: the weather is nice, the road
is excellent and clear. Time to put the foot on
the accelerator. But how fast am I allowed to
go here? The last road sign was a while ago,
and there might be a speed limit just around
the corner. The Speed Limit Info incl. no-
overtaking indicator has all speed limits in
its memory, as well as current data on no-
overtaking restrictions. It is a good investment.
Lots of information is already available in the
navigation system – for example, if a speed
limit only applies at night. In addition, a camera
in the rear-view mirror reads road signs with
place names or speed limits. The currently
permitted maximum speed as well as any no-
overtaking zones are shown in the instrument
cluster, and optionally in the BMW Head-Up
Display. The system works all over Europe, in
towns, in the countryside, on motorways and
even in roadworks or areas where speed limits
vary. The Speed Limit Info incl. no-overtaking
indicator even consults the rain sensor and
clock before displaying a limit.
What is Active Cruise Control? A
congested motorway. Slow-moving traffi c,
more stop than go. A situation no driver relishes.
But in the BMW Series Touring, it is still a
relaxed affair. As soon as the car ahead stops,
the BMW too comes to a smoothly controlled
halt. Once the car ahead starts moving again,
so does the BMW Series Touring, as if it had
eyes of its own. And it does: a radar sensor
monitors the area in front of the car. Its visual
range extends from just in front of the bumper
to metres ahead – because Active Cruise
Control is not just for slow traffi c, it also works
at higher speeds, up to km/h on the
Autobahn. The system also warns the driver of
potential collisions, using two warning levels.
The integrated light-braking function ensures
that maximum braking power is available in the
event of an emergency.
SIX
TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS.
BMW and Apple iPhone: the perfect
combination? I get in, press the Start
button, and my favourite song comes out of
the loudspeakers. How come? Luck? The
Apple iPhone or any other Bluetooth-capable
mobile phone communicates perfectly with the
BMW Series Touring, and the connection is
easy to establish. The address book and the
music library are automatically available. It’s all
thanks to Bluetooth technology connecting the
hands-free equipment in the BMW with the
mobile phone. So you can access telephone
numbers stored in your mobile phone via the
iDrive Controller or the buttons on the steering
wheel. All you have to do to start a hands-
free call is to press a button. After docking to
the BMW Adapter, the entire music library is
available as well via iDrive, in the accustomed
ord er.
What does the Park Assistant do? Every
evening it is the same: stressed drivers trying
to fi nd a parking space. One gap seems too
short, another not wide enough. Luckily,
I don’t have to rely on estimates any longer.
I trust my Park Assistant and leave steering to
my BMW. How does it work? Using sensors,
the Park Assistant establishes the size of the
gap. If you pass a large enough parking space
with the assistant switched on, the assistant
will signal a green light. You put the car in
reverse gear, take the hands off the steering
wheel and press the accelerator or brake
pedal; the BMW Series Touring takes care
of everything else. Park Distance Control or
the rear view camera will always tell you how
big the gap to other parked vehicles is.
