Fog lights as Cornering lights?

[SAmadei]

So I'm parked at night unloading a van, 4 ways on, doors open... and a stupid ass in a BMW SUV drives up behind me trying to make the right turn. I see his turn signal on... and that he has one fog light out. After lots of waving, they finally get a clue and and put the other turn signal on... drive around... I notice the fog light goes out and the other fog light comes on. Finally in front of me, I see the fog light has switched sides again to follow the turn signal.

Kind of interesting. Not sure it was that useful, but interesting. Is this a new feature in the BMW X-series? Any other cars have this feature?

[pow]

I've driven an old Merc SLK (I think 2005?) that had that feature. Only does it at low speeds, I believe, to help with urban driving. Really helps when you're making right turns, and there are pedestrians at the curb waiting to cross.

[Nick]

I've noticed this on a few cars, the X5 being one of them. Another interesting turn-signal feature I noticed is on Audis, specifically the A5. When the turn signal goes on, the row of LEDs on that headlight turns off. I imagine this is for improved visibility of the turn signal.

[Sixty8panther]

As a big fan of German cars I do enjoy certain features that Mercedes Benz & BMW cars provide

above and beyond anyone else... but truth be told this seems like a pretty useless complication

to the already over-taxed wiring harness.

You wanna talk about a cool feature?

The e31 Hardtop coupes, also known as the 8-series, had a few neat ones.

If you're driving your 840Ci / 850i / 850Ci / 850CSi you have around like I do,

that is with all four windows lowered since it's a hardtop, there's a certain

safety feature you might notice.

Specifically, if you exceed 100mph all the windows automatically go up &

seal up the cabin. THAT is the kind of German engineering I can appreciate.

Edited August 8, 2011 by Sixty8panther

[SAmadei]

Specifically, if you exceed 100mph all the windows automatically go up &

seal up the cabin. THAT is the kind of German engineering I can appreciate.

Yeah, I remember that feature. Didn't like it that much, though.

[the_yellow_dart]

Jeremy Clarkson disapproves of your nancy-boy 'windows up' feature.

[pow]

As a big fan of German cars I do enjoy certain features that Mercedes Benz & BMW cars provide

above and beyond anyone else... but truth be told this seems like a pretty useless complication

to the already over-taxed wiring harness.

You wanna talk about a cool feature?

The e31 Hardtop coupes, also known as the 8-series, had a few neat ones.

If you're driving your 840Ci / 850i / 850Ci / 850CSi you have around like I do,

that is with all four windows lowered since it's a hardtop, there's a certain

safety feature you might notice.

Specifically, if you exceed 100mph all the windows automatically go up &

seal up the cabin. THAT is the kind of German engineering I can appreciate.

How is this useless? As someone who has actually driven a car with this feature, I can say that the extra lighting is helpful in urban driving, particularly on multi-modal roads. It helps light up the feet of a pedestrian who's about to cross a street at a busy intersection.

[SAmadei]

How is this useless? As someone who has actually driven a car with this feature, I can say that the extra lighting is helpful in urban driving, particularly on multi-modal roads. It helps light up the feet of a pedestrian who's about to cross a street at a busy intersection.

I wouldn't call it useless, but its wasn't as useful as it sounds, either.

The lighting pattern the fog lights were putting out were much straight ahead. If you need the small amount of light that actually made it to the corner, you need to check your coke bottle lenses or stop driving at night.

There is already way too much bright light out there that out night vision is compromised nearly all the time... and its nothing but an ever escalating war of lumens.