Driver, car and environment; by interconnecting these three elements, the BMW Group is creating something truly unique. Under the umbrella of BMW ConnectedDrive, the BMW Group has developed a range of completely new technology features that give the driver and passengers information and services to help make their driving experience safer and more comfortable. The outcome? Sheer driving pleasure that takes on a whole new dimension.
Available across the entire BMW range of new models as optional features, the BMW ConnectedDrive elements fall into three categories - Comfort, Safety and Infotainment - under which there are a growing range of innovative and inspiring technologies.
Comfort - Communication between the vehicle and the environment
The comfort level focuses on the communications level of the passengers and the outside world, something central to BMW ConnectedDrive.
Surround View: With Surround View, the control display offers a 270 degree bird's eye view of everything around the car providing support when manoeuvring and parking in tight spaces.
Infotainment - Connection instead of isolation
The Infotainment encompasses information and entertainment at the same level as in the office or at home. The Infotainment zone defines a communication level between the driver and the passenger and also promotes active social exchange between the two.
Internet Access: BMW is the first automobile manufacturer to offer unlimited on-board Internet access. Once the car has safely stopped, you can surf the Web on the control display and use the iDrive Controller as a computer mouse. But that is only the beginning. You can now even set up your office in a BMW using your smartphone; importing your contacts, set up as an external mailbox via BMW Online and check and read emails.
Bluetooth Office: The main smartphone functions can now be transmitted to the car via Bluetooth Office, so the vehicle acts as a mobile workspace with the ability to call up everything from notes and contacts to emails.
Bluetooth Audio Streaming: This system allows the driver to play music from an MP3 player or smartphone via the car's own sound system with the ability to control the end device via the iDrive. BMW ConnectedDrive and Bluetooth Streaming provide the wireless way to play music in your car with the Control Display showing you all the details of the music that's making your drive so much more enjoyable.
Passenger Information Display: This is mounted in the instrument panel in front of the passenger and is the gateway to the passenger's world of entertainment. When it is inactive, it is invisibly integrated into the instrument panel. However touching the area below, will bring it to life allowing the vehicle and the passenger to interact.
Safety - The vehicles primary focus
The central area of safety symbolises the interaction between the driver and the environment with active safety measures such as driver assistance systems. These features enable the vehicle to pass information relevant to safety on to the driver.
BMW Head-Up Display: Derived from the information technology for fighter jet pilots, it helps makes driving safer by projecting information about the current speed, route navigation on to the windscreen as a virtual image to ensure the driver's attention stays on the road.
Advanced Emergency Call: In the event of an accident, crash sensors automatically activate the Advance Emergency Call and at the same time precise positioning data for your vehicle's location is automatically transmitted through your BMW. It not only identifies emergencies, it also reports service requirements, to the BMW Service Partner of your choice and in due time. This feature is currently available in Dubai and Kuwait only.
Park Assist: Allows the vehicle to parallel-park itself, where the driver only needs to operate the accelerator and brake. A sensor automatically scans parked cars for an available space. Once a suitable parking spot is found, the driver is prompted via the Control Display to stop the vehicle in order to start the parking manoeuvre. Park Assist then turns the wheels automatically, with the driver controlling the accelerator and brake. Using the Park Distance Control to assess the distance to other parked cars, the driver is in control at all times and can abort the manoeuvre by turning the wheel. The Control Display indicates once parking is complete.
Collision Warning with Brake Activation: This system uses radar technology to monitor distance to the car ahead and provide warnings wherever necessary. If the driver fails to respond, the system automatically brakes. This feature is currently available in the GCC and Lebanon only.
A Brief History of BMW ConnectedDrive
At the beginning of the 1970s BMW began work on networking the vehicle with the outside world and networking the vehicle's own systems with each other in order to realise innovative information, communication and assistance systems. Since those early days, enormous progress in networking has been made primarily driven forward by the creative, innovative strength of the BMW development engineers. Many of these innovations have set standards for the entire automotive industry.
BMW ConnectedDrive of tomorrow
The potential advantages of networked driving became clear in March at the World Premiere of BMW Vision ConnectedDrive at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show to reveal a myriad of additional driver assist functions.
The leading position in the automobile world held by the BMW Group in the development of innovative driver assistance systems and mobility services will be further strengthened by this extraordinary concept vehicle, the idea of which has been around for over 30 years.
Just imagine...it's rush hour in the city and you're lost. The road system is confusing and there are one-way streets everywhere. And now the traffic lights are out of order as well! These are the things that drive us crazy today. But not so in the future, when a 3D head up display will warn drivers about the defective traffic lights and mark them in for the rest of the route. And to make sure there are no collisions, this driver's car will 'talk' to other vehicles in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, the front seat passenger will be on the Emotional Browser, finding out what's on offer in the area - restaurants, museums, attractions and whatever else you need. At the moment though, you just need information about a particular restaurant because you want to meet a friend there. Because the car is linked into the driver's schedule, it already knows about the meeting; it has recorded the address of the restaurant as its destination and is now working out how best to get there. All while the traffic updates are being integrated in the route calculation. The system also knows where there is space to park - and points out the alternatives available with public transport as well.
The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive, a spectacular two-seater BMW roadster study, shows just what intelligent connectivity will be able to offer in road traffic. The exterior of the car is currently nothing more than a sculpted shell, with a few similarities to the future series model, individual design elements will be integrated into upcoming vehicles.
The BMW ConnectedDrive technology for enhanced comfort, safety and Infotainment, are optional features available across all new BMW models at BMW Group importers across the region.
Note: Please find hi-res versions of all images on http://www.box.net/shared/cseikzfv7a
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The BMW Group
With its three brands - BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce - the BMW Group is one of the world's most successful premium manufacturers of cars and motorcycles. It operates internationally with 24 production sites in 13 countries and a global sales network with representation in more than 140 countries.
During the financial year 2010, the BMW Group sold 1.46 million cars and more than 110,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2010 was euro 4.8 billion on revenues amounting to euro 60.5 billion. At 31 December 2010, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 95,500 employees.
Long-term thinking and responsible action have long been the foundation of the BMW Group's success. Striving for ecological and social sustainability along the entire value-added chain, taking full responsibility for our products and giving an unequivocal commitment to preserving resources are prime objectives firmly embedded in our corporate strategies. For these reasons, the BMW Group has been sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the last six years.
Abu Khader Group
The Abu Khader Group was founded in 1937, under the leadership of the late Nicola Abu Khader, who established, developed and managed the automotive and auto parts business hand in hand with his brothers Salim and Yousef, until he was joined by the second generation.
Today, the Group is managed by the family's third generation members: Nicola Abu Khader, who continues to expand the business, and under his leadership, new subsidiary companies and specialized divisions have been developed and added to the Group. The result is an integrated group of companies, each specializing in a different field, with its own independent management. The decentralized structure allows each company in the group to remain strategically focused, and close to market segment and customers.
The Abu Khader Group is one of the leading business groups in Jordan, proudly achieving growth in all business sectors, including but not limited to; automotive spare parts, lubricants, automotive dealerships, tires, battery manufacturing, leasing, car rental, public transport, real estate, technology and education. Over the past decade, the Abu Khader Group has become one of the leading automotive dealerships in Jordan. The Abu Khader Group is the exclusive dealer & distributor for a number of world leading passenger and commercial vehicle brands, including Opel, FIAT, GMC, Cadillac, HUMMER and Mitsubishi commercial and Fuso trucks.
For more information please contact:
Rawan Abu Jarrar
VARCC - Arabian Communications
Email: rawan.abujarrar@varcc.com
Tel: (+962) 6 554-7161
Fax :(+962) 6 554-7162
© Press Release 2011
