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Ingenious. Anyone noticed any similar - er - innovations today?
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Sounds like another April fool joke.
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tinyurl.com/d33eu5
Magnetic link (but no motoring link) but you might imagine this to be a hoax too.
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Previous innovations released on an annual basis:
www.bmweducation.co.uk/cofacts/view.asp?docID=49
including this one which became a reality in some cars:
www.bmweducation.co.uk/coFacts/linkDocs/bmwTyrePre...p
and the one last year which was CRAP:
www.bmweducation.co.uk/coFacts/linkDocs/caninerepe...p
Edited by jbif on 01/04/2009 at 14:58
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For those who missed it, the text less the informative photos is below
" BMW has revealed a smart new piece of technology that will allow drivers to hitch a ride from the car in front via a magnetic beam,
The "magnetic tow technology", which the car-maker claims was devised by its head of innovation, Herr Noitt All, means BMW drivers can lock on to the car in front, allowing them to take their foot off the accelerator and turn off the engine.
The vehicle in front will then "do the pulling", without causing any change in manoeuvrability.
The poster suggests that once the BMW driver turns off the magnetic tow technology, the driver should provide a courteous flick of the headlights to thank the driver in front.
Consumers interested in the product should e-mail uve.vollenvorit@bmw.co.uk for more information."
I have noted the email address in case I need more details.
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I have noted the email address in case I need more details. >>
Good advice, since the bmw.co.uk web site has been down this morning - either due to
uve.vollenvorit or the conficker worm/virus [conficker is allegedly a German word which HJ's swear filter would ban if it was translated to English].
www.twistedpairrecords.com/blog/2009/01/25/confick.../
Edited by jbif on 01/04/2009 at 15:09
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''The "magnetic tow technology", which the car-maker claims was devised by its head of innovation, Herr Noitt All, means BMW drivers can lock on to the car in front, allowing them to take their foot off the accelerator and turn off the engine.''
but don't BMW drivers try to hitch up to the bumper of the car in front anyway and tailgate?
;-)
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Zose Germans haf some crazy sense of ze humour. Ve have vays of... etc. I think they haven't quite mastered April Fool Jokes. They're not supposed to be too obvious. Don't mention the war...
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I expect PU will want it on his bike, although it won't work too well on Reliants and ally Audis.
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"but don't BMW drivers try to hitch up to the bumper of the car in front anyway and tailgate?"
I assume the whole joke hinges on this. As you imagine it actually happening from the point of view of the driver of the car doing the "towing", he sees a BMW up his backside, which after a while flashes its lights (supposedly a "thank you").
Sounds familiar? Or just an unfortunate stereotype? You have to hand it to BMW, though - it shows Germans can do irony!
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And probably manage to rise above racial steretyoes and Basil Fawlty type humour.
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Reminds me of the old silent movie where a man (Buster Keaton? Charlie C?) drives a toy car holding a huge magnet.
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A wee message to the truck driver who broke down in lane 2 of the southbound M6 this morning at junction 10.
If that was an April fool, you sure got a lot of people !
I failed to get the joke at the time mind......
;-)
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Is April Fool's Day observed the world over?
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Avril poisson across la manche (le manche?).
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Years ago there was a BMW advert (on 1st April) which invited people to enter a competition for which the prize was a unique ceramic model of a BMW car, created by the avant-garde Finnish sculptor Lirf Loopa. Yeah - right!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 01/04/2009 at 20:42
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The Koreans seem to observe April 1. Today they have launched the Hyundai Popemobile (based on an i10 or 20 by the looks of it). The seats are 'made from parts of a tapestry woven by monks from the Indian City of Utta Bullacs'.
It was in todays Autocar so must be true...
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With apologies to BT and with full awareness of my pedantry, may I say my "Robert"* gives "poisson d'avril" (April fool). "Manche" (meaning English Channel) is feminine, so "la Manche"; le manche means something else (handle).
* French dictionary
Edited by ChrisPeugeot on 02/04/2009 at 00:01
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Apologies not necessary. Forty-odd years since my French 'O' level.
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my dad was half way though cutting the article out to give to me (my job has alot to do with alternative energy production) before he got the joke :-)
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Fantastic...must get one...and who said the Germans have no sense of humour.
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I am a member of some learner driver forum and a member posted a joke that certain cars were not allowed to be used in tests from today as they were considered dangerious. I instantly knew it was a fools joke due to the dates not making any sense (all Corsas from 00 -09 for example).
Anyway it seems some rather foolish people has fallen for it and canceled his test :eek but I suspect it is a double bluff designed to fool the fooler.
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Yesterdays Metro free paper got it about right... we had pictures of tartan sheep on page 3 (!), then the BMW ad on page 9 and then an article on page 11 about £35bn spending on the railways....
You couldn't have made it up!
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