Quick: what country invented the car?
Which country made cars sexy?
Which country’s cars lead the way in tech and features?
The answer to the above, of course, is Germany.
From Karl Benz’s gas-powered Patent-Motorwagen to the dual-clutch transmission, Germany has been the innovation leader when it comes to car development.
Below are 5 innovative features of German car brands that you’ll see trickle down through the industry.
Auto Valet
Starting a trip is always the most exciting part of a journey. Finding parking at the end is always the most frustrating part.
Imagine thumbing a button on the key-fob and watching your car safely park itself? With BMW’s Remote Parking available on the 7-Series and Mercedes Ben’s Remote Parking Pilot in it’s E-Class, this dream is already a reality.
These luxurious sedans give you all the joy of a lush, gorgeous drive and save you the hassle of finding parking.
Keep An Eye On the Lights
Is there anything more frustrating than missing a green light because the car in front of you failed to notice the light?
With Audi’s Time to Green technology, this inconvenience will soon be a thing of the past. By using vehicle-to-traffic infrastructure, equipped Audi’s will be in communication with traffic lights to create a smoother drive with fewer stops. This will lead to less road rage, too.
With the Wag of A Finger
As vehicle technology has advanced, the number of buttons, knobs, and controls on your dash have increased. Sitting in a new car can require a ‘Where’s Waldo’ degree of searching just to find the volume control.
BMW’s Gesture Control no longer requires you to actually touch the dash to make changes. Just perform the appropriate gesture and the car will make the changes you want. Perhaps they can sync the car horn up with a middle-finger gesture?
Chatty Cars
BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi have all bought an information-sharing technology called “Here“.
“Here” utilizes the sensors and the cameras that are already installed on most modern cars and uses them to mine information relevant to drivers.
Cars can report on road hazards, traffic accidents or even available parking spots.
Think of it as an anonymous group chat where “Car A” can pass along information to “Car B” upcoming highway conditions. And if all the German car brands are buying in, there’s definitely something there.
Sexy, Sexy Hybrids
When you think of hybrids, what do you think of? The Prius, right? It’s practically a Birkenstock in car form, a people-mover that not only places function over fun, but has actually stopped to kick fun to the curb.
Thankfully BMW has the i8. An impossibly gorgeous yet economically efficient ode to the joys of driving.
Looking for a modern car, BMW kept their passion for driving and built outward from there. The gas-electric drivetrain satisfies both the eco-warrior’s need for low-emissions and the purist’s desire to push the limits.
German Car Brands Are the Future
To Man, these features may seem to be exclusive to the who can afford it. Niche products are for the 10% that can afford them.
The truth is, however, that these German car brand technologies will be adopted by the industry at large.
There’s an axiom that states if you want to know what your car will have in five years, look what the Mercedes S-Class has now. That’s true with all these advancements.
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