Bmw’s new 7-Series “Gesture Control” will be the best wingman in 2016.

Technology Tuesday: Bmw’s 2016 7 Series Gesture Control feature.

In South Africa, the term “last number” basically means the end all and be all of something, the greatest of the lot, the crème de la crème. For BMW, their “last number” figuratively and literally is the 7-Series, the epitome of luxury in the BMW world. The 7- Series has been a long favourite in South Africa amongst those who can afford such cars,  and even the president himself can be seen chauffeured in the current generation 7-Series. We feel that 2016 is going to be an interesting year for this segment of vehicles because the competition is definitely at it’s toughest.

The current offering from Mercedes Benz, has got to be one of the best looking luxury vehicle one can buy at the moment. There is no denying that the S-Class is gorgeous from all angles and drives beautifully too. The Audi A8 is no ugly duckling either, nor does the car drive in any way uncomfortably. There is no such thing as bad in this segment, only better. The question is, for the BMW 7-Series to be preferred choice how much more better will it have to be?

Time will only tell, all we know for now is that BMW have worked very hard to be ready. What we know is that from inside out, BMW have utilised new technologies to make the new 7-Series as light as a feather whilst retaining the presence of a weight lifter. How is this possible? Carbon fibre. The car uses carbon fibre in various areas of its skeleton, making it lighter than it’s predecessor. A lighter car is generally a more dynamic car, something that BMW’s are known for, so the philosophies haven’t changed with the development of the new 7-Series. Of course things like steering and damping are improved too, to make sure the car is as comfortable as possible.

Today though, we want to talk about something much simpler than damping and Carbon Fibre. We want to discuss a little feature on the new 7-Series called Gesture Control. This feature is available on some smart phones and it allows you to make certain commands without touching the screen. The same applies to the new 7-Series, by simply gesturing with your fingers, you can tell the I-Drive system to do something like turn up the music volume or pick a track. This is made possible through an infrared camera that picks up movement. A friend living in Germany has actually driven the new BMW 7- Series and has used this feature. From what he tells us, the feature works beautifully. It’s the little features like these that make nerdish boys like myself giggle because it’s not the essence of the car but it adds to the cool factor ten-fold.

Features like Gesture Control are going to make for impressive first dates, provided your father or boss allows you to drive his car. Imagine as you’re talking to your potential significant other, a call comes in. You simply swipe your hand in right almost to say “go-away” and the call rejects. Firstly you will look super cool and secondly you will be deemed responsible for not talking and driving, it’s a win win. Have a look at this video below to see how this feature works. Happy Tech Tuesday Motorists.

*image courtesy of http://www.extremetech.com