Within the early 2000s, BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH—the corporate’s devoted analysis and innovation division—was engaged on a mission that really broke the mould. In contrast to the groups centered on refining subsequent yr’s manufacturing fashions, this group was all about exploring daring new concepts that might redefine the driving expertise sooner or later.
Certainly one of their most fascinating experiments was the Drive Stick Automobile, primarily based on the second-generation E46 BMW 3 Collection Compact. At first look, it regarded like every other 3 Collection from the period. However the second you opened the door, you might see it was one thing utterly totally different. Gone had been the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedals—staples of each automotive for many years. Of their place had been two vertical management levers referred to as Drive Sticks, positioned on both facet of the driving force’s seat.
Joystick Driving
The way in which the Drive Sticks labored was surprisingly intuitive. To speed up, you pushed each levers ahead. To brake, you pulled them again. Steering was so simple as tilting the levers to the left or proper. Gear shifts? These had been dealt with by buttons constructed proper into the levers themselves. All of this was powered by drive-by-wire know-how which meant there have been no mechanical connections—simply digital alerts controlling the automotive’s methods.
With out a steering wheel or pedals, the inside felt like a very totally different area. The footwell was open, giving the driving force extra room, and the dashboard was cleaner and extra fashionable. A display within the middle console changed the standard rearview mirror, and the seats had been reconfigured to make getting out and in of the automotive simpler and extra comfy. It felt much less like moving into a conventional automotive and extra like getting into a cutting-edge cockpit.
One distinctive characteristic was the power for the passenger to take management if wanted. In an emergency, they might seize the opposite Drive Stick and drive the automotive. It was a intelligent option to make driving safer and extra adaptable, particularly in conditions the place a driver would possibly need assistance.
Sci-Fi, However Not Actually
For BMW lovers, this would possibly all sound like one thing from a science fiction film. And in a means, it was. The Drive Stick Automobile wasn’t designed to switch the standard driving expertise that BMW is thought for—it was extra of a query: “What if we began from scratch?” The insights from this mission ended up shaping applied sciences we now take without any consideration, like electromechanical energy steering and energetic steering. These methods introduced new ranges of precision and management to the street whereas preserving the unmistakable BMW driving really feel.
Whereas the Drive Stick Automobile by no means made it to manufacturing, it stays considered one of BMW’s most intriguing experiments. It’s a testomony to the BMW’s willingness to discover radical concepts and take dangers within the identify of innovation. It’s additionally fascinating that 25 years later, BMW and different firms are engaged on related ideas inside the actual of autonomous driving, so that you gotta give BMW engineers credit score for foreseeing the long run.
