BMW Files Patent That Helps You Be Like Ken Block
BMW has filed a patent featuring technology that would make a vehicle complete a J-turn in style.
The patent officially filed was for a “method for controlling an automatic transmission,” where an electronic control unit will automatically shift the transmission from reverse into a neutral position before engaging the forward drive mode. Essentially, the technology would detect if the vehicle is traveling straight in a reverse gear speed at a speed higher than a predetermined value. If the car then experiences a defined steering jolt exceeding a defined rotational angle, the transmission will automatically go from reverse to neutral.
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Once the vehicle detects the end of the rotational movement, the transmission will automatically go from neutral into a forward driving position, helping complete the J-turn with an automatic transmission.
At first glance, you would believe that the patent filing would be for an advanced safety feature of some sort, especially for semi-autonomous or even fully autonomous vehicles. In the situation that a car is going backwards on its own and the driver takes over, this would help ensure the vehicle transitions in a way that makes sense. But by the way it is described in the patent filing, BMW might be watching too many Ken Block Gymkhana videos and thinking all its drivers are 2 Fast 2 Furious.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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I'd like to propose a sister patent in which every time this technology is engaged to start the maneuver, the theme song from the Rockford Files will start playing over the stereo.