Earlier this year, BMW introduced a new feature for its vehicles with the latest iDrive 7.0 infotainment system, including the 3-Series, 7-Series, 8-Series, X5, and X7. Dubbed BMW Drive Recorder, the feature utilizes the surround-view cameras fitted to the aforementioned models and allows them to double as dashcams.
For quite some time, the Tesla Model 3’s exterior cameras have doubled as dashcams so owners can save driving footage. In the case of BMW’s system, which is part of an optional upgrade package for select models that also includes the Parking Assist Plus feature, the videos generated by the cameras are capped at 40 seconds and, in the event of a collision, 20 seconds of footage before and 20 seconds of footage after the incident are saved automatically.
In addition, the system can be operated manually through the iDrive menu, as the videos in the playlist below outline. The saved recordings can be viewed on the infotainment display itself or exported to an external USB drive.
Award Winners: Genesis G70, BMW 7-Series And Others Awarded For Their Infotainment Systems
“Drivers can therefore shoot videos while driving through spectacular scenery, for example, or performing impressive maneuvers on the race track, and then send them to their mobile device and share them,” BMW says of the system.
Much like the system of the Tesla Model 3, the footage generated by the cameras isn’t of the highest quality, particularly when compared to the many cheap full-HD dash cameras on the market. Nevertheless, it could prove very handy in the event of an accident in helping authorities determine what caused a crash and who is to blame.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzeiTOjjvDp0Mc-Bi4y9dbjh0DyA3HFjE