MailOnline takes a ride in BMW’s new £110,000 smart car with a 32-INCH cinema screen
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The days of shooting the front seat may be over soon thanks to BMW, which has taken rear-seat luxury to new levels in its £110,000 high-tech smart car.
MailOnline took a ride in the new all-electric BMW i7, which has 5G connectivityinterior ambient lighting and a super-wide ‘cinema screen’ at the rear.
The 8K display, measuring 32×9 inches, folds out from the sunroof at the touch of a button and streams videos from Netflix, YouTube and more.
BMW gave me a ride on my morning commute through West London, a nice alternative to the cramped and temperamental tube.
The BMW i7, part of the legendary 7 Series range, features 5G connectivity, interior ambient lighting and a rear seat cinema screen.
The proudest feature of the new vehicle is the cinema screen, which, at 32×9 inches, is truly super wide.
The BMW i7 is a new electric variant of the BMW 7 Series, which the German automaker has been producing since 1977.
According to the firm, the new car redefines luxury “with new levels of electrification, sustainability and digitization.”
It says: “The new BMW 7 Series represents a significant advance over its renowned predecessor, with an innovative specification designed to deliver incredible driving pleasure, unsurpassed long-distance comfort and a cutting-edge digital experience.”
By far its proudest feature is the movie screen, which, at 32×9 inches, is really super wide, almost in the shape of a wooden slat or surfboard.
When I sat in the back and watched it fold in front of me, it seemed too close to my face at first, probably about three feet away, but I quickly got used to it.
Fortunately, passengers can change the aspect ratio from full screen (32:9) to 21:9 or 16:9, closer to a conventional TV.
The 8K screen, measuring 32 inches by 9 inches, drops down from the moonroof at the touch of a button and streams videos from Netflix, YouTube and more
Passengers can change the aspect ratio from full screen (32:9) to 21:9 or 16:9, closer to a conventional TV
When passengers are done with the screen, it rotates 90 degrees and sits comfortably on the roof, which is made of glass and lets in more natural light than a normal car.
For security reasons, the theater screen will not activate unless the blind covering the rear window is lowered.
Quite rightly, BMW says that watching video through the window would be a dangerous distraction for the drivers in the car behind.
But this means the driver can’t see behind, so his rear view mirror becomes useless when theater mode is activated and he has to rely solely on the two side mirrors.
This made me wonder: is my trip less safe because I am watching movies?
I asked the driver about this and he told me that any new vehicle I have to drive requires a bit of getting used to. I guess truckers have the same problem.
This is all legitimate, of course: UK law stipulates that all vehicles must have at least two mirrors giving a view of the rear of the vehicle.
The huge “theater” screen is touch-sensitive, but can also be controlled with a small smartphone-sized screen That’s built into the passenger door handle (there’s one on the other passenger side, too).
From here I can pull down the theater screen and select apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, ITVX and more, much like a smart TV at home.
Although my ride was early in the day, I’m sure an evening ride when it’s dark outside would really make it more cinematic, especially with a bucket of popcorn, like a movie theater on wheels.
I can only imagine bombarding the freeway with a stash of gas station fast food while watching the latest movie on Amazon Prime: bliss.
When I’m done, the screen rotates 90 degrees and sits comfortably on the roof, which is made of glass, letting in much more natural light than a normal car.
Touch screens for controlling car functions are built into the handles of both passenger doors
From the back seat, passengers can change the radio station, pair a phone to make calls, close the blinds and more.
The control screen on the passenger door also allows me to choose different ambient settings, each with soft colored lights and soothing sounds.
I notice a burst of noise every time my driver steps on the accelerator; again, something I think must get pretty annoying to him after a while, though he doesn’t seem to care.
From the back seat I can change the radio station, pair my phone to make calls, and close the blinds without triggering the theater screen.
An armrest in the middle has a smartphone charging pad, so I can charge my phone while I watch a bit of YouTube.
My seat is soft and squishy and it gets hot underneath. I can also control the overall temperature with the ‘climate mode’.
The BMW i7 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds thanks to two electric motors: one drives the front wheels and the other drives the rear wheels.
I’ve never been in an all-electric vehicle before, and the ride is incredibly quiet and smooth (perhaps too quiet for comfort, some would say).
At £110,000, the car is clearly designed for wealthy people who like to be chauffeured to work.
Too soon I have arrived at the MailOnline offices and have to leave the comfort of the back seat for the cold London street.
I could definitely get used to being driven to work every morning. Unfortunately, at £110,000 the car is clearly designed for very wealthy people, so for me it’s back in the tube.
BMW is clearly pushing the limits of what a car does, and the i7 seems predominantly designed for passenger comfort, but does this come at a cost to driver comfort?
I hope not, because the comfort of the driver is also part of the comfort of the passengers.
Otherwise, the next step for BMW is a bar, full table service and possibly a team of chefs in the trunk, for great dining on the go.