Automotive manufacturers are always keen to keep up with popular technology from other industries - witness the way every car maker wants the public to see how compatible their cars are with smartphones, for instance - so BMW has announced that it is joining forces with GoPro, maker of the 'world's most versatile camera', in the first-ever integration of this connectivity in a production car.
Provided you have BMW Apps or MINI Connected in your car, you can now configure and control a GoPro camera using the iDrive controller and high-resolution screen. Any HERO3+ Wi-Fi-equipped GoPro camera communicates with the GoPro App on the driver's iPhone 4 (or later), which has to be connected to the vehicle. You can then access the App via the menus in the car's infotainment system. BMW claims it has designed the on-board operating menu to streamline the camera's operation, with fully integrated menu options appearing on-screen. In addition to aiming the camera using BMW's central screen, users can choose between six pre-set camera modes: Leisure Drive Facing Out, Night Driving, Sport Drive Facing Out, Drive Camera Facing In, Winding Road Time-lapse, and Straight Road Time-lapse. You can also record at will or switch into Sleep mode to preserve the camera's battery, while all the GoPro's vital status indicators (battery life, recording time, Wi-Fi signal strength) are displayed too.
Anything else?
The updated GoPro App is now available for free in the iTunes Store and from July this year it will be functional on all BMW Group vehicles equipped with either the BMW Apps or MINI Connected options, when used with a Wi-Fi-equipped GoPro camera. The best news is it's backward compatible, as it will work on any cars from model year 2012 onwards, not just brand new motors.