Actually, this is 13+ year old technology. BMW introduced the MKI in the 1995 740iL. That means they had to design it a couple years before then. The system has essentially remained unchanged since, save a few hardware upgrades to add faster processors and a DVD reader. Even the current crop of nav systems in the 5 Series, 6 Series, X5, and 3 Series are loosely based off this original system.

BMW will make its next major leap forward with the nav system and on-board electronics in the F01 7 Series. That will smoke anything any other car maker offers, and it will be a generation ahead of TomTom or Garmin. Still, TomTom and Garmin will quickly catch up, because a carmaker is is pretty much locked into their electronics architecture for years, while the little handhelds can quickly change.

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SOLD
2000 E38 750iL Highline Edition, Upgraded with the lastest 2006 X5 Electronics
MKIV Navigation, 16:9 Display, Bluetooth, TV/Video with Backup Camera, Sirius, and Aux Input