Beemers - german engineering

I was looking up stats on the BMW for the previous post when I came across this specifications sheet for the current 7 series. To put this in perspective, this is the 'medium spec' version of the car. And BMW isn't even the leader when it comes to technology in cars. That crown goes to mercedes benz.
Below is a list of "STANDARD"(!!!!) features.
Still talking about getting bluetooth for the cellphone? this car has it!

Click here to see the list of features

Performance and Efficiency
6.0-liter DOHC(4-cam)48-valve V-12 engine with direct fuel injection and Valvetronic

Double-VANOS steplessly variable valve timing

Aluminum block and cylinder heads

Electronically controlled engine cooling

Digital Motor Electronics engine-management system with adaptive knock control

6-speed STEPTRONIC automatic transmission with Adaptive Transmission Control

Electronic gear selector

Liquid-cooled alternator

Handling, ride and braking
Aluminum double-pivot strut-type front suspension

Aluminum 4-link integral rear suspension

Aluminum front and rear subframes

Active Roll Stabilization (ARS)

Twin-tube gas-pressure shock absorbers

Self-leveling rear suspension with air springs

Electronic Damping Control - includes "Sport" setting

Vehicle-speed-sensitive variable-assist, variable-ratio rack-and-pinion power steering

4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with electronic brake proportioning

Electromechanical parking brake

Automatic Parking Brake

Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Dynamic Traction Control (DTC)

Dynamic Brake Control (DBC)

Exterior and Aerodynamics
19 x 9.0 front/19 x 10.0 rear Star Spoke (Styling 89) cast alloy wheels with 245/45R-19 front / 275/40R-19rear performance tires1

Body-color bumpers with hydraulic energy absorbers and (front only) compressible elements

Aluminum hood and front fenders

Xenon Adaptive Headlights with dynamic auto-leveling

Halogen ellipsoid front foglights

Windshield wiping sweep regulated for optimum coverage2

Variable parking position to reduce wiper blade wear

Articulated passenger-side wiper arm

Single-wipe control

Washer jets in wiper arms, heated fluid supply

Heated wiper parking area

High-pressure headlight cleaning system

Choice of standard or metallic paints

Smooth underbody

Audio / visual
Logic7 audio system with 13 speakers, Digital Sound Processing and 6-disc in-dash CD changer with MP3 playback capability; includes 2 subwoofers and all features of standard audio system

Instrumentation and controls
Electronic analog speedometer and tachometer

LCD main and trip odometers

Condition-based Service display3

Expanded Check Control vehicle monitor system

iDrive concept

Start/stop button

Electronic control stalks

LCD displays and warning indicators in dial faces

Leather power tilt/telescopic multi-function steering wheel with audio and phone controls, one programmable control; auto tilt-away for entry and exit

Programmable cruise control

On-board computer

Navigation system

Voice Activation system

Bluetooth® wireless technology4 for hands-free calling

Brake Wear Display

Flat tire warning

Interior seating and trim

Nasca leather upholstery5

Extended leather trim on instrument panel and rear sides of front-seat backrests

Memory system for driver’s seat, steering wheel, and outside mirrors (2 positions)

16-way power front Comfort seats with 4-way lumbar support; includes articulated upper backrest, adjustable backrest width, adjustable thigh support, passenger’s-seat memory, active head restraints with adjustable side support

10-way power rear Comfort seats with 4-way lumbar support; includes articulated upper backrest, automatic head-restraint height adjustment, automatic pretensioners, and rear seat ventilation

Active front driver's seats with gentle massage action

Ventilated front seats

Heated front seats with fast heating and balance control

Heated rear seats

Climate-controlled front console compartment with coinholder, trunk-release lockout, and illumination

Alcantara headliner and sun visors

Safety and Security
Intelligent Safety and Information System (ISIS) for deployment of safety systems

Dual front-impact airbag Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) with dual-threshold deployment, 2-stage Smart Airbags

Front safety belts with automatic pretensioners and force limiters

Automatic pretensioners in safety belts at rear outboard seating positions

Automatic-locking retractors (ALR) on all passenger safety belts (for installation of child restraint seats)

Front-seat Head Protection System (HPS)

Front-seat side-impact airbags

Active Knee Protection

Rear-seat Head Protection System (HPS)

Active front head restraints6

BMW Assist

Adaptive Brake Lights

Battery Safety Terminal

Automatic fuel-pump shutoff upon severe accident impact

Central locking system with double-lock anti-theft feature, selective unlocking7

Coded Driveaway Protection

Pathway Lighting feature7

Alarm system with operation from remote, interior motion detector

Comfort and convenience
Vehicle & Key Memory

Keyless entry with multi-function remote control

Remote trunk release

Power soft-close automatic doors and trunklid

Continuously variable stepless door brakes

Power windows with key-off operation, “one-touch” open/close and anti-trapping feature

Automatic front climate control with full separate left/right controls, solar sensor, automatic recirculation, heat-at-rest feature, left/right temperature-controlled rear outlets, auto ventilation

Activated-charcoal micro-filter ventilation

Power 2-way moonroof with key-off and “one-touch” operation, conceal panel and wind deflector

Window and moonroof opening possible from remote control

Dual power/heated automatic-dimming outside mirrors

BMW Universal Transceiver (garage-door opener) integrated into rear-view mirror housing

Automatic tilt-down of right outside mirror for visibility of curb when backing up

Enhanced interior lighting system including front and rear left/right reading lights

Footwell lighting front and rear

Exit/entry lighting on interior door panels

BMW Ambiance Lighting front, rear and door panels

Illuminated visor vanity mirrors front and rear

LED “atmosphere” lights in C-pillars

Illuminated front console compartment

Glove compartment with rechargeable take-out flashlight

Illuminated exterior door handles and ground illumination

Rain-sensing windshield wipers with electronically controlled, reversible wiper motor

Park Distance Control with graphic display

Heated steering wheel

Power outlet in passenger’s-side footwell area

Dual cupholders front and rear (total of 4-cup capacity)

Rear center armrest with storage compartment

Power rear-window and rear-side-window sunshades with driver and rear-passenger controls

Ski bag

Fully finished trunk with inside trunk release

Automatic trunk opening and closing

BMW Maintenance Program

My name is James Bond.... James.... Bond

It was not just the men in suits, the women in barely anything and the villans who were always upto something that endeared the series to many. Twas ze gadgets.

Jetpack (Thunderball, 1965)
Helps Mr Bond fly out of sticky situations.







Blue X-Ray Glasses (The World Is Not Enough, 1999)
Used to spot concealed weapons.







Q's Pet (A View To A Kill, 1985)
Robotic remote control being that was used for surveillance.







Imitation Fingerprints (Diamonds Are Forever, 1971)
They're finger prints and they are imitated.








Underwater Breather (Thunderball, 1965)
Allows the man to breathe underwater or in other very gooey situations for 4 mintues.







BMW had showcased a robotic 5 series that had bullet proof windows, a dent resistant exterior, self deflating and re- inflating tires, eight missiles in the sunroof, a wire cutter, automated caltrops(sharp triangular thingies) dispenser, forward machine guns and a english speaking computer that could be controlled with a nokia cellphone. (Bmw made sure all these features actually worked on the car and were not just props for the scene!)


However, interest in the movies is definitely down. Maybe people watching these movies are getting bored of the predictable plots, the classy and infallible womanizing British/Irish heroes and the unrealistically rich screwball villans with overambitious plans.
Or maybe the audience is getting smarter. Most have become more gadget friendly and Internet savvy.
Maybe mechanical engineering marvels that might have garnered oohs and aahs before are now yawnful.
The cliched 'Computer age' has probably made such gadgets seem wasteful. Most of them can be easily done with graphics making even the real seem unreal. Every other movie can have all these fancy deelies with some coffee inhaling programmers at their disposal.

Gadgets were the life blood for these movies and the plots had to incorporate them into their story. And this has begun to limit the movies to crappy plots with an outdated method of gadget exhibition. We don't need silly little mechanical marvels dangling in every scene. Their plots need to have more tech-depth to them. The plots themselves need to be the gadget. Most of us understand distributed computing, remote robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Maybe the Matrix was the best James bond movie till date.