"Hammerfrog" (Hammerfrog)
08/02/2014 at 23:38 • Filed to: None
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"Hammerfrog" (Hammerfrog)
08/02/2014 at 23:38 • Filed to: None | 1
| 15 |
Just look at it....
It's called the M performance electronic steering wheel, and it costs about $2000... The top LEDs show off revs and the LCD in the center can display G forces, lap times and other fun stuff.
I didn't know about this Ferrari-esque option until I saw Chris Harris' m235i video on /Drive, but apparently it's an OEM extra that the Bavarians have had for some time. Never seen one IRL, though.
Can't help but think that the lights might get a little (okay a lot) annoying for everyday driving, but it's kind of an awesome gadget. Why is this not standard equipment on the i8?
BMW needs better M- i coordination if you ask me (ok that was terrible).
GhostZ
> Hammerfrog
08/02/2014 at 23:39 |
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Some tech needs to stay in F1. This is annoying, and I assume you can't turn it off.
I would much rather have a tach and a graphical/radial (not numerical, which is much less useful) G-meter. Both of these can be bought aftermarket dirt cheap and put on a vehicle, even your phone can do it if you're that cheap. Why would I want this, other than to pretend I'm Lewis Hamilton?
norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
> Hammerfrog
08/02/2014 at 23:39 |
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Me wants.
V8 Rustler
> Hammerfrog
08/02/2014 at 23:40 |
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They've had it since the E90/E87.
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Hammerfrog
> V8 Rustler
08/02/2014 at 23:49 |
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nice! looks way better now, though :)
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Hammerfrog
> GhostZ
08/02/2014 at 23:54 |
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Agreed, a regular tach+ g meter or, even better, some kind of HUD (why aren't they more popular !?), would be way less obtrusive than blinking lights in your face.
I think people who want to pretend they're Lewis Hamilton probably account for 95% of sales of this, though.
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GhostZ
> Hammerfrog
08/02/2014 at 23:56 |
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It goes back to the old "How the hell do you make paddle shifting look cool ?"
Although paddles will never be as cool as this:
e25ci
> Hammerfrog
08/02/2014 at 23:58 |
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I'm personally excited to put this into my BMW more than the steering wheel. I feel like someone will hack the heads up display for the non-m's to show the same information this steering wheel shows.
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Hammerfrog
> e25ci
08/03/2014 at 00:04 |
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JGrabowMSt
> Hammerfrog
08/03/2014 at 00:10 |
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This should be in a HUD, not the wheel. Why should I have to take my eyes off the road to see these things?
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Hammerfrog
> JGrabowMSt
08/03/2014 at 00:18 |
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I think the idea is you can see them flashing in your periphery, but agreed, it should be in a HUD.
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JGrabowMSt
> Hammerfrog
08/03/2014 at 00:26 |
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Fun Fact about the human brain: You can't actually identify colors until they are directly in your line of sight. If you sat along a street and stared directly across, you wouldn't be able to tell what color a car was until it's directly in front of you.
lonestranger
> Hammerfrog
08/03/2014 at 00:52 |
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The resolution on the tiny screen at the top does look pretty good, from what I can tell from photos.
http://www.bmwblog.com/2014/07/21/bmw…
Arben72
> Hammerfrog
08/03/2014 at 01:11 |
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I thought about getting this, but the full alcantara wheel looks so much better.
wkiernan
> Hammerfrog
08/03/2014 at 09:16 |
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After all, why would anybody be interested in knowing what their engine revs are in the middle of a turn?
Manuél Ferrari
> GhostZ
08/03/2014 at 14:19 |
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I dunno, I think it's kind of fun. And it might not be on all the time. What would be smart is if BMW has it set to be on only when you hit the M button. That way it would be off during commuting and on when you hit the M button to get max power and aggressiveness (at the expense of fuel economy and ride quality).
Is it a little silly in a BMW? Yes, an M4 is no 458... But I don't hate BMW for doing it. Since it's an option the cost of development and production probably didn't impact the cost of the base M cars.