[BruceK]

Did you know the 7-Series comes equipped for the US market with Rear Fog Lights that also double as emergency brake lights? Yes, it's ture.

When I dropped my MINI off at the dealer the other day, I had some time to kill so I read a slick brochure for the new BMW 7 Series. I discovered that a SAFETY FEATURE of the new 7 Series is called "Adaptive Brake Lights" which means under heavy braking, the car also temporarily switches on its STANDARD REAR FOG LAMPS to supplement the brake lights so as to make the braking actions of the car more visible.

So, rear fog lamps have finally made their way onto a US market BMW product - and they've been cleverly adapted to provide a safety feature even on clear days.

Now read the quote from BMW/MINI representative McHale in this current AutoWeek story, and tell me he knows what he's talking about.

http://www.autoweek.com/search/searc...98525&record=1

Quote:

• "...Michael McHale, Mini communications manager, says BMW's product marketing group, which decides the content in vehicles, opted to make rear fog lights unavailable on the U.S. version of the Mini.
  
  He says Mini and BMW officials are aware of the group of owners asking for the lights, but there are no plans to reverse the product group's decision.
  
  The matter is not scheduled to be discussed again, McHale says.
  
  Some Mini owners who are frustrated over BMW's refusal to offer the lights have figured out how to make them work by soldering a connection in the taillight circuit board.
  
  "There's a minimum lighting requirement that we meet," McHale says. "We are comfortable with the lighting performance of our cars."
  
  The refusal to offer the lights flies in the face of the friendly relationships that Mini has worked to establish with its customers.
  
  "We just don't do it," McHale says. "No BMWs have them, either."

Not true Mr. McHale. Does BMW/MINI think safety is more important to a 7 Series owner than to a MINI owner?

[jlivingood]

How lame that McHale can't get his act together or his story straight! It's about being honest and giving your customers what they want. They have a line of folks out the door ready to pay for a simple feature and yet they refuse.

If they sold the rear fog as a software and switch upgrade for $200 they'd probably make more $ than selling their neat luggage or roof racks.

Jason

[stryder]

Good research! Its amazing that with a company that sells basically 3 cars, 2 roadsters, an SUV and a super cool sub-sub-compact they'd be able to keep their lights straight! I had always thought fogs + extra brakes made sense, I just didn't know that rear fogs were actually on the 7 as part of the adaptiveness.

I just hope this can get pointed out when Pitney answers the questions we've posed to him, it'd be a good way of MINI wiping the egg off their face.

[GadgetGav]

Can anyone find out (or guess) McHale's email address...? I'm sure he'd love 600+ copies of the 7 series spec mailed to him..!

[KAMAKAZI]

• "...Michael McHale, Mini communications manager, says BMW's product marketing group,
  
  "There's a minimum lighting requirement that we meet," McHale says. "We are comfortable with the lighting performance of our cars."
  
  

why is he proudly exclaiming "we meet the minimum"?

shouldn't they be striving for something more?

great advertising slogan "we meet the minimun in performace"

[BruceK]

You would think that since the hardware and software have already been developed for the 7 Series, it would not be a major stretch for BMW to equip its entire range, including the MINI, with a similar adaptive brake light system.

But until then, how about just the rear fog lamps? They are a useful safety feature on a 7 Series acording to the BMW brochure. Don't MINIs and the biggest BMW travel on the same roads in the same kinds of weather conditions?

[AidenL]

I actually met Mike McHale over here in Ireland yesterday .

If I had known the full background to the US rear foglight issue, I would have asked him for more information, but I must admit, i wasnt well enough informed to enter a debate, and as it was a MINI / Mini run, I didn't think it would be fair to raise any controversial topics.

He is a very nice man though !

[minicooperdc]

...someone should actually get in a 7 and see if it has a rear fog switch, brochure may not be accurate. Just a thought.