While night vision systems on high-end luxury cars may not be a new technological development, first debuting on the Lexus LX470 and Toyota Land Cruiser Cygnus in 2002, and later on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, launched in late 2005. BMW also adopted the system on their flagship 7-Series, on the facelifted version of the Chris Bangle-designed car, at about the same time Mercedes-Benz did.
Now, they have launched the technology on the latest 7-Series, the F01/F02, along with a recent facelift of the car. The system, which BMW calls Dynamic Light Spot, works pretty much the same as it we’ve come to expect, using a marker light and sensors to identify, then highlight, whatever obstacles, animals or pedestrians may stray onto or close to the driven path.
BMW have also kept things consistent with the way they are marketing and promoting the system, using a video ad which is very similar to the one used to promote the system back in 2005, when they first implemented it. It is undoubtedly a very useful feature, and like all good ideas it will slowly trickle down into the 5-Series and its equivalents, then the 3-Series and then even lower, and as with all safety tech, at some point in the future, it may even become a mandatory requirement for all cars, as with ABS, ESP and airbags - AEB is next.
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