Rotary controllers
BMW’s iDrive arrived on the 2001 7 Series, moving comfort and communication functions behind a single push-turn knob and one central screen.
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Audi’s MMI and Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND followed with controllers of their own on the centre console, and the idea spread from flagships down to the 3 Series and the TT. Early systems were criticised as confusing, so later ones gained shortcut keys, handwriting touchpads and eventually touchscreens, until Audi dropped the knob from the A8 in 2017.
- Defining technology
- Other elements in its photos
- Instrument cluster
- Primary input
- Climate controls
- Head-up display
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Photo credits
Photo credits (10)
- BMW 7 Series (E65), cockpit“BMW 7 Series Individual - fourth generation BMW 7 Series, E65/E66 (06/2015).” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
- Audi A8 (D3), cockpit“Audi A8 4.2 TDI quattro tiptronic Interieur” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Thomas doerfer · CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
- BMW 3 Series (E90/E91/E92/E93), cockpit“BMW E90. (07/2015)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
- Mercedes-Benz S‑Class (W221), cockpit“Instrument Cluster, Mercedes-Benz S350 4Matic” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: Onkel Dittmeyer · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
- BMW 7 Series (F01), cockpit“The new BMW 7 Series: Interior (05/2012)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
- Audi A8 (D4), cockpit“Audi A8 L (2010): Cockpit” (opens in a new tab) · © AUDI AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · Audi Media Center
- BMW 3 Series (F30), cockpit“New BMW 3 Series: Cockpit standard version (10/2011)” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom
- Mercedes-Benz S‑Class (W222), cockpit“Mercedes-Benz S 350 BlueTEC L (V 222) – Innenraum, 13. Oktober 2013, Düsseldorf” (opens in a new tab) · Photo: M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 de (opens in a new tab) · Wikimedia Commons
- Audi TT (8S), cockpit“Audi TT Coupé (until 2023): Cockpit” (opens in a new tab) · © AUDI AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · Audi Media Center
- BMW 7 Series (G11/G12), cockpit“The new BMW 7 Series - Interior (06/2015).” (opens in a new tab) · © BMW AG · Editorial use (opens in a new tab) · BMW Group Newsroom