BMW’s iDrive 9 multimedia system: Fixing What Ain’t Broke
• BMW's multimedia system has come a long way since its initial launch in 2001. Its latest version, iDrive 9, is without doubt its best.
The iDrive system is used throughout the BMW brand lineup, of course, but there’s also a version on board Rolls-Royce models, and yet another version, adapted for vehicles flying the Mini flag.
BMW iDrive
A first prototype of the iDrive system (called the Intuitive Interaction Concept) was presented on the Z9 concept in 1999. The commercial version arrived in September 2001 in the BMW 7 Series (E65).
That early version ran on an automotive-modified version of the Microsoft Windows CE system, in fact the Windows CE logo was visible when the system rebooted or crashed.
The first generation of iDrive controllers in the 7 Series featured only a large rotary knob. The GPS system was located in the trunk and could only read map CDs.
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