When it comes to the BMW 8 Series, the typical talking points are about its looks. And it is a stunning thing, so it’s no surprise that enthusiasts want to talk about its beauty. However, there’s also a ton of interesting tech inside the new 8er. In this new video from Joe Achilles, we see a bit of it, in the form of the 8 Series’ new Reverse Assistant.
BMW’s new Reverse Assistant was first advertised by Nicki Shields with the new 3 Series. But it’s not just the 3 Series that will be getting this new technology. Oh no. The 8 Series will be getting it as well and Joe Achilles tests it out this time in this new video.
The way the system works is that the car remembers the last 50 meters of your driving and it can reverse those 50 meters on its own, so long as you don’t exceed 20 mph, with the driver only operating the gas and brake. At first that may seem like a gimmick but if you take a minuted to think about some of the ways it can be used, it starts to make a lot of sense.
For instance, as Achilles explains personally, someone with a long, windy driveway that maybe goes uphill can have a hard time reversing back out of it. Not with this new Reverse Assistant, which can do it for them. As long as their driveway isn’t longer than 50 meters, of course.
In this new video, Achilles sets up a bit of an obstacle course for the 8 Series, drives through it forward and then sees if it can do it in reverse on its own. It’s actually a pretty funny video that shows off just how well the new Reverse Assistant works. While I don’t have a difficult driveway to navigate, I would find myself using this system all the time anyway, even I didn’t need it.
