Seeing More, Looking Ahead Safely Also in Winter: Innovative Lights Technology in the New BMW 7 Series.

Munich. Dusk setting in early, poorly lit country roads, unclear weather
conditions - according to traffic statistics the autumn and winter months
referred to for good reason as the "dark season" present the greatest risk of
accidents.
Offering innovative lighting technology, BMW makes a significant contribution
to greater safety on the road also in this respect, with the new BMW 7 Series
setting the standard: BMW's new Luxury Performance Sedan is the only car in the
world to feature intelligent headlight control taking both driving conditions,
road contours and weather conditions into account all at the same time. The new
BMW 7 Series comes as standard with bi-xenon headlights, automatic light
adjustment and separate fog lamps.
Apart from the High-Beam Assistant, Adaptive Headlights for winding roads and
bends are also available as an option, offering not only variable light
distribution and a cornering light function, but also, as a new feature,
Adaptive Vertical Beam Control exclusive worldwide to the new BMW 7 Series.

World debut: Adaptive Vertical Beam Control.
For the first time the new BMW 7 Series also considers the vertical contours of
the road in controlling the illumination of the road ahead. Adaptive Vertical
Beam Control not only sets off the inclination of the car under high load or
when braking hard but also varies the light beam when driving uphill or
downhill for just a short spell. When driving over a hillcrest or in a trough
between two hills, the light beam is lowered or, respectively, raised as
required, ensuring optimum illumination of the road ahead without dazzling
oncoming traffic.
To provide this function, the car's sensors first detect the inclination of the
road surface on which the car is currently travelling. Then, also taking the
car's speed and acceleration into account, the control unit calculates the
vertical course of the road and adjusts the position of the headlights
accordingly.

Variable light distribution expanding the driver's field of vision as a
function of driving conditions.
A further feature of Adaptive Headlight Control is variable light distribution
ensuring optimum illumination of the road ahead also on straight and smooth
stretches of road. As a function of speed, areas relevant to driving safety are
illuminated particularly clearly within the driver's line of vision. Below 50
km/h or 31 mph the system activates the City Light Mode with broader light
distribution to facilitate the recognition of pedestrians or cyclists also on
the left side of the road. The Autobahn Light Mode automatically activated as
of 110 km/h or 68 mph expands the driver's line of vision by increasing the
headlight range and ensuring more intense illumination across the entire width
of the road.
Variable Light Distribution automatically ensures optimum visibility also in
bad weather, again tailored to the current situation and specific requirements:
As soon as the driver switches on the fog lamps, the Guiding Fog Light Mode is
set automatically at speeds of up to 70 km/h or 43 mph, with the adaptive light
modules in the headlights automatically providing broader light distribution
and brightening up the area immediately in front of the car. The reduction of
light scatter within the driver's line of vision allows the driver to relax and
drive more smoothly even in fog or rain, enjoying superior safety and
convenience.

Even more precise and effective: Adaptive Headlights in the BMW 7 Series.
The optional Adaptive Headlights illuminate the road ahead in accordance with
the succession of curves coming up in front of the car. Swivelling from side to
side, the headlights precisely follow the lock on the steering wheel, the yaw
rate and the speed of the vehicle. The Cornering Light function is integrated
in the headlights, with an additional light beam switched on in every corner in
order to illuminate the road in the appropriate direction the driver wishes to
take.

Comfortable and effective: the High-Beam Assistant.
The optional High-Beam Assistant provides additional comfort when driving at
night. In this case a camera in the interior mirror housing recognises the
distance from vehicles coming in the opposite direction or driving ahead as
well as the level of ambient brightness, switching the high-beam on and off
automatically as a function of current conditions.
The driver is therefore no longer required to switch the headlights manually
and benefits to a far greater degree from the safety potential of the High-Beam
Headlights. A study by the University of Michigan shows that the High-Beam
Assistant increases use of the high-beam with maximum light yield up to five
times.

The starting point: first xenon lights in the 1991 BMW 7 Series.
As a trendsetter in introducing new technologies BMW has actively developed
high-performance headlights for many years and even decades. In 1991 the
second-generation BMW 7 Series was the world's first car to be equipped with
xenon headlights.
The greater safety ensured in this way by reducing the frequency of accidents
with the help of xenon headlights has been clearly confirmed by the Rhineland
TÜV Authority in their statistics. Now the consistent enhancement of this
technology and the integration of additional functions help to make the new BMW
7 Series the benchmark for superior and safe motoring in the dark, always
looking ahead in the interest of maximum safety.