BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
The artist formerly known as _Who_
- Orange Cola
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
And when a feature breaks it’ll become a vehicle to refund the customer
Mustang GT 5.0 V8 -- Jaguar F-Pace
- DeskJockey
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Can't see that catching on. Seems like they're busy making ugly cars that dilute the core values and annoy customers. Although I'm equally sure that I'm wrong and that they'll make loads of money doing it.
Last edited by DeskJockey on Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Driving a Galaxy far far away
Driving a Galaxy far far away
- Orange Cola
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Imagine buying your second or third hand BMW and having to shell out for the spec you want to work. Or will BMW just enable everything and sell the car outright to someone?
Mustang GT 5.0 V8 -- Jaguar F-Pace
- Sundayjumper
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
By then some nice Russian chaps will have hacked it and written some software to let you enable everything you want.
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Ridiculous, unless they think no-one wants to own anything.
Dave!
Dave!
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
So the hardware for every option is installed in every car, and whether the buyer has paid for the option or not, BMW will have paid to install it. Can’t see that working financially.
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
“Honey, turn the air-conditioning on”
<gets out Apple Pay>
“Do you want the full arctic Tundra or just chilly ?”
Dave!
- JonMad
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Simplifies production though?
Left over crest; tightens.
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
probably a little, but you’ll still have all the colours and trim levels to manage, so it’s not as though you can just churn them out like washing machines.
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
It’s all part of their ploy to keep charging you money as once cars go fully electric there’s no additional profit to be made from servicing. Would sir like an update and 20 bhp? That’ll be £1200.
Repeat every year for the next 5. Or just buy from a brand which isn’t such a cunt.
Repeat every year for the next 5. Or just buy from a brand which isn’t such a cunt.
How about not having a sig at all?
- integrale_evo
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Bmw and vw have done it for years with certain options like cruise control where the car already has fly by wire throttle as standard. All they have to do is check a box in the coding settings to enable it.
I’m sure there will still be plenty of physical options which have to be fitted separately by either factory or dealer.
I’m sure there will still be plenty of physical options which have to be fitted separately by either factory or dealer.
Cheers, Harry
- DeskJockey
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Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Fairly similar to how mainframes used to be built. They were fully loaded and additional resources could be made available instantly by entering license keys.
Obviously can't do it with physical components, but if the majority of the features are software based, then it costs them very little, which I suspect can be recouped when less difference is needed on the production line. One infrastructure design covers all options, rest is software.
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Driving a Galaxy far far away
Driving a Galaxy far far away
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Cornering lights is a big one for vag group cars- for example Skoda Fabia SE with front fog lights already fitted to the model as standard can have cornering front fog lights optioned for £155. It’s literally just a setting change in the ecu, no extra hardware involved. At least cruise control you get an extra switch for your £195integrale_evo wrote: ↑Sat Jul 04, 2020 1:44 pm Bmw and vw have done it for years with certain options like cruise control where the car already has fly by wire throttle as standard. All they have to do is check a box in the coding settings to enable it.
I’m sure there will still be plenty of physical options which have to be fitted separately by either factory or dealer.
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Bmw have been doing this for years.
Mrs A F31 didn’t have the Bluetooth streaming enabled as it was an un-ticked option when it was bought. I recoded it with the bimmerlink app and it works a treat now.
Same for carplay can be enabled with some coding and a plug in antenna.
ETA - enabled a load of other things like cornering lights and enabled hidden I drive features.
Mrs A F31 didn’t have the Bluetooth streaming enabled as it was an un-ticked option when it was bought. I recoded it with the bimmerlink app and it works a treat now.
Same for carplay can be enabled with some coding and a plug in antenna.
ETA - enabled a load of other things like cornering lights and enabled hidden I drive features.
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Just seen that it’s $18 a month to activate heated seats in a BMW. What a joke. Welcome to the future. Clearly going to catch on because it’s a massive revenue driver.
- integrale_evo
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- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:58 pm
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Hopefully it’ll be easy to hack with a £20 plug in dongle off eBay
Cheers, Harry
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
Yep, you’ll be able to buy a poverty spec 520d in doom blue for £3k in a few years and spend £20 on a bit of Russian hardware and end up with a fully specced 520d for peanuts!
How about not having a sig at all?
Re: BMW plans to add more options and features as a subscription service
this!integrale_evo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:04 pm Hopefully it’ll be easy to hack with a £20 plug in dongle off eBay