The lack of a 360 camera irks me

[q96169we]

That's if you have Driver assist optioned

That's standard on G29.

No it isn't as it's a £900 option

Sorry, I remember the wrong name of those stuffs.
The standard three systems as said above are called "Active Guard". I thought the basic stuffs called "Driving Assistant". Then the system based on two extra radars on the side of rear bumper is called "Driving Assistant plus" and the semi-autonomous driving system, which not available for G29 but can be specified on my G31 as well as other models, is called "Driving Assistant Professional". Obviously, the names keep changing and the professional can become plus later when they have L4 system ready.

[daniel_c]

They've never really stuck around though have they?

You mean 360-cameras haven't stuck around? Basically every new car on the higher-end scale has them, and the more expensive ones also stich the images into a 3d image, so can even rotate around the car, almost like if there was a drone flying around it.

Check out the Mercedes implementation, which is actually now even available on the C-class, which is why it boggles my mind the Z4 doesn't offer it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsuTNpIrOPE

For me, it's really not about the walls, it's about curbs. For example, there's a mall where I live, with an underground garage, where you pass through a funnel of sorts. It's a two-way pass with a parking machine in the middle. It obviously wasn't intended for a 2-way pass, so the passes are extremely narrow, and have curbs on both sides. A lot of people obviously struggle with this, as evident by the curbs being all rubber scraped. Being able to perfectly center the car through this pass, with only a few inches of available space, is pretty hard, by all standards.

Also, the 360-cam helps you park way closer to curbs than I'm otherwise confortable with.

Thinking about it some more, I'd actually be happy with just an actual front camera, as they can show you exactly where the "tyre tracks" would go when creeping forwards.

Anyhow, I realise this thread doesn't have tons of discussion value, I guess there's not much point crying about it on forums

[daniel_c]

I realise I'm making myself out to be a totally incompetent driver - of course I can park and get by without the cameras, I don't even have a backup camera on my SLK, but it's about comfort, and the Z4 is touted to be a comfortable luxury roadster. And it's about parking your 600-700k euro car without developing pit stains from the nervousness

[Scubaregs]

I realise I'm making myself out to be a totally incompetent driver - of course I can park and get by without the cameras, I don't even have a backup camera on my SLK, but it's about comfort, and the Z4 is touted to be a comfortable luxury roadster. And it's about parking your 600-700k euro car without developing pit stains from the nervousness

If you are paying 600-700k euros for a G29, you have more to worry about than a 360 degree camera.

[daniel_c]

If you are paying 600-700k euros for a G29, you have more to worry about than a 360 degree camera.

That's Sweden for you

A new, fully specced M40i is around 850k euros here.

[Scubaregs]

If you are paying 600-700k euros for a G29, you have more to worry about than a 360 degree camera.

That's Sweden for you

A new, fully specced M40i is around 850k euros here.

That's £715,000.

[Russ Z4]

A new, fully specced M40i is around 850k euros here.

Surely you mean SEK?

[daniel_c]

Surely you mean SEK?

Haha, damn, of course! I meant 60-70k euros. Euro to SEK is pretty much 1 to 10. Sorry about that!

I'll leave my misstake as to not ruin the confusing thread of posts

[Russ Z4]

They've never really stuck around though have they?

You mean 360-cameras haven't stuck around? Basically every new car on the higher-end scale has them, and the more expensive ones also stich the images into a 3d image, so can even rotate around the car, almost like if there was a drone flying around it.

Check out the Mercedes implementation, which is actually now even available on the C-class, which is why it boggles my mind the Z4 doesn't offer it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsuTNpIrOPE

For me, it's really not about the walls, it's about curbs. For example, there's a mall where I live, with an underground garage, where you pass through a funnel of sorts. It's a two-way pass with a parking machine in the middle. It obviously wasn't intended for a 2-way pass, so the passes are extremely narrow, and have curbs on both sides. A lot of people obviously struggle with this, as evident by the curbs being all rubber scraped. Being able to perfectly center the car through this pass, with only a few inches of available space, is pretty hard, by all standards.

Also, the 360-cam helps you park way closer to curbs than I'm otherwise confortable with.

Thinking about it some more, I'd actually be happy with just an actual front camera, as they can show you exactly where the "tyre tracks" would go when creeping forwards.

Anyhow, I realise this thread doesn't have tons of discussion value, I guess there's not much point crying about it on forums

I guess that I mean that surround cameras were never really a much clicked option and they certainly don't turn up much on used cars. I had it on my 640d and it definitely could be used quite effectively - but unless you have a very particular use case, it didn't really bring that much to the party. I could park OK with or without it. The dropping mirror is usually big enough driving aid. As you say though, if you are passing through a narrow pathway with kerbs either side, then yeah, I can see why you'd want it.

[Scubaregs]

A new, fully specced M40i is around 850k euros here.

Surely you mean SEK?

My thoughts exactly, hence;

A new, fully specced M40i is around 850k euros here.

That's £715,000.
[/quote]

[daniel_c]

Sorry for the confusion, I should have just said “expensive”, that’s universal enough

[daniel_c]

I guess that I mean that surround cameras were never really a much clicked option and they certainly don't turn up much on used cars. I had it on my 640d and it definitely could be used quite effectively - but unless you have a very particular use case, it didn't really bring that much to the party. I could park OK with or without it. The dropping mirror is usually big enough driving aid. As you say though, if you are passing through a narrow pathway with kerbs either side, then yeah, I can see why you'd want it.

Ah, yeah, that makes perfect sense! They also seem to be bundled with more premium packages as well, which could also explained why they're often missing on used cars.

[Roadster_Surrey]

One of my local supermarkets has narrow exit and I just don't drive there in any of my cars. I wouldn't go there even with top view camera. Too much hassle. I learned where are the narrow exits/entrances/parking spaces while driving Audi A8/S8 and I just avoid them. And I'm certainly not going to Geneve Long Stay car park in anything big again, I thought I won't be able to leave it at all due to narrow 90 degree turn to exit.

The £900 driving assistant pack gives you ACC and driving assistant which include lane change warning, approach warning, person warning, blind spot monitoring, crossing traffic warning, and rear collision warning. Among these systems, the lane change warning, approach warning, and person warning are standard even without the driving assistant pack (laws require them to be standard if remember correctly). The other three extra systems basically implemented on two additional radars attached to the side of rear bumper. However, none of them can stop driver from kerbing the wheel which is what the OP wants to achieve via 360 camera.

I don't believe any of these systems are required by law in UK.

[ori]

I find the reliance on all this modern technology makes us all lazy and carefree so to speak - me included. My daily drive (horrible EV) has all the gizmos. We managed for many years with our senses, mirrors our eyes !!!

Width restrictions used to be just two poles, now these days they have huge curbs and you’re going in blind. Some of them have bends!!!

[raven]

BMW removed 360 surround cameras from nearly all models, same goes for the cruise control with stop and go and active steering.
I cancelled the order for my 3series LCI because of that.