Seventh Wonder

A Driving Experience That Goes Beyond Taking the Wheel
 

- Anand Mohan

Remember the times when your old man took you for a spin in his car before the word digital was coined for the gadgets we used. All the entertainment you had was a rickety radio that required a tap or two and an adjustment to the antenna to hear a song clearly. If someone said a twirl of my fingers in the air would change the volume, I’d check that person into an asylum. But this is 2017 and look how things have changed. I get the keys to a BMW 7 Series and all it wants to do is impress. It’s like I’m the hot guy on our first date and Miss Seven wants to fast-track to first base. Confused? Let me explain.

The Seven comes with two keys, a regular one and a digital one. That digital key is somewhat like a smartphone. It shows you the range on the fuel left in the gas tank, you can remotely turn the lights on and off, and even set a timer for the air conditioner to turn on so that the cabin is cool before you enter it. Then there is my favourite party trick. A swipe on the screen will take you to the car’s remote parking function. You can start the engine, move it forward or backward and turn the car off after you have found your desired parking spot, all while you are staring at the beauty from the outside. That’s right the car parks itself with its key. Still not impressed?