Finally got an answer from BMW explaining the lack of Drive Recorder on the car and Iconic Sound's on the store | BMW i4 Forum
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Finally got an answer from BMW explaining the lack of Drive Recorder on the car and Iconic Sound's on the store

14K views 48 replies 23 participants last post by  jfthong03  
#1 ·
A cording to BMW, Drive Recorder is discontinued on i4 2023 models.
Also according to Microsoft on 2023 Models Iconic Sounds cannot be purchased after the car is delivered, needing to be chosen on the configuration on car purchase.

Anyone with 2023 i4 cars and Drive Recorder?
And what about 2023 I4 cars with after delivery purchase of Iconic sounds?

Can I consider this info reliable.

All Feedback is welcome, but the one from Portuguese Buyers would be specially welcome since if this is not confirmed BMW will take shelter on referring that different regions have different rules.
 
#3 ·
I have an i4 M50 2023 MY with Drive Recorder and Iconic Sounds (US delivery).
 
#7 ·
I have Drive Recorder and Traffic camara add on in the store and activated. M50 was build april 5th 2023 and delivered in NL May 1st.

Software version 03/2023.37
 
#8 ·
e40, built last Friday 5/5 (not yet delivered of course, so grain of salt I suppose?) that certainly still lists Drive Recorder and Iconic Sounds Electric under "your selected options". This also surfaces as codes 04V1 and 06DR in the options list if you inspect the page.
 
#10 ·
I thank you all for these info's, and will wait for extra feedback on more users, specially from Portugal.

Note that if you purchased iconic sounds with the car, or if specifically ordered Drive recorder with the car, it won't count.

What I need is feedback from users that received the car without them, and bought them afterwards, or at least have the option to order them afterwards.

Ionic Sounds was an option on purchase, but since it's software I though I could purchase it after delivery, and BMW is saying that I cannot.

As for Drive Recorder, it was standard on all cars, but my car, and all that came on the same shipment as mine, doesn't have it, and BMW claims the motive is that it was discontinued.
From what I'm reading this is not true, and some of you have it. I have the 360 cameras so the app should be present, or available for purchase but it is not.
 
#15 ·
drive recoder needs the camera's of the Parking Assistant Pack Plus (360° camera) to work, so its logic that drive recoder can be "purchased" afterwards for those who have the hardware (PAP) an not for those who don't have it.

for me (ordered in december 2021), around 11/2022 I got told that the PAP was not available anymore (and laserlights and others) and that this cancelled out also the drive recoder. after some "discussions", it appeared that PAP was available again, and so drive recoder was also re-added to the build . i'm production status 150 so I'll know in about a month how it turns out...
 
#16 ·
Hi. Do you have HiFi or Harman / Kardon sound system ?

I did a retrofit from HiFi to Harman/Kardon, and when I did the calculation of the hardware needed in car , I did some testing regarding the RAM(Receiver-Audio-Module), and this module changes when calculating hardware depending of options.

Cars without HiFi/HK or 4V1 has the small or mid version of the RAM, while cars with HiFi/HK or 4V1 has the high version.

So maybe the reason that 4V1 is not available on CD store, is that you have neither HiFi or HK, and 4V1 requires HIGH version of RAM.

/Weebyx
 
#17 ·
Hi. Do you have HiFi or Harman / Kardon sound system ?

I did a retrofit from HiFi to Harman/Kardon, and when I did the calculation of the hardware needed in car , I did some testing regarding the RAM(Receiver-Audio-Module), and this module changes when calculating hardware depending of options.

Cars without HiFi/HK or 4V1 has the small or mid version of the RAM, while cars with HiFi/HK or 4V1 has the high version.

So maybe the reason that 4V1 is not available on CD store, is that you have neither HiFi or HK, and 4V1 requires HIGH version of RAM.

/Weebyx
Hi weebix...

Thank you for your reply.

I have PAP (S5DN ) and Hi Fi Sound system (S676 ). BMW says the Drive Recorder app is discontinued, and now they claim its a local decision.
Question is I ordered my car back in 2022, and Drive Recorder was presented as a function when purchasing those two extras. I found it interesting and that was one of the reasons I added the two extras.
Now, even though during the year of wait I was informed of availability and lack on equipment, been given me the choice to remove/add extras for faster delivery, no one informed me of this removal...
And I find this unaceptable!
 
#19 ·
Sounds like a legal compliance thing rather than a BMW thing to me, so I went to do some Google-searching. Andddddddd I found a bunch of articles stating that dashcams are technically not legal in Portugal due to privacy laws.
For the legally-literate among us: law 58/2019 article 19/2 of the Portugal national law.

I'd blame the dealership for not informing you, but that's about their only shortcoming here. They can't alter the law, and BMW will naturally avoid delivering vehicles with equipment enabled that's illegal to be used.

Sources (some English, some Dutch):
 
#20 ·
First of all, thank you for spending some time searching this.
But what you say, doesn't seem to apply for two reasons:
1 - Tesla cars are sold in Portugal, and they not only have dash cams, they record you if you approach the car windows.
2 - BMW iX, as an example, still has Drive recorder.
 
#22 ·
The term "discontinued" is a bit of a deflection. BMW AG is certainly still building them in cars. BMW India may have decided they won't have them on cars bound for there. Why they would do that I have no idea.
 
#25 ·
My car (i4 M50) built 1/19/2023 and delivered 3/10/2023 has drive recorder.

My car has all option except exterior carbon and ventilated seats. No deletions or options.

2023 M50 - Tanzanite over tartufo full individual leather, 20" wheels, fully loaded.
 
#27 ·
My understanding is that paid options are all made available to a specific car (VIN) and the coding is encrypted. As that encryption has not been broken, those options can not be coded by anybody other than BMW.

IF BMW don't make these options available in your country, you aren't going to get them.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Well it (Drive Recorder) was available over here, from factory and via the connected drive store, bought it in May after delivery from the store.
Option got removed from the June price list as factory option, and looks like as connected drive store option for 8.5 also. (At lease The Netherlands)
 
#29 ·
Well it was available over here
What was available? The OP makes reference to Drive Recorder and Iconic Sounds, to which are you referring (or both)?

It wouldn't surprise me if they removed Drive Recorder. From reading other posts, it just isn't reliable. You are much better off getting a proper dashcam if you want those features.
 
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#31 ·
The issue seems to be that it doesn't reliably trigger in the event of an incident (which is when you want it). Hence my suggestion to get a proper dashcam.

If you are going to test it, make sure you crash your car and let us know how it goes 😉

(Can I make it clear, that is a joke about the difficulty of actually testing its functionality, I wouldn't wish a crash on anyone)
 
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#37 ·
I am pretty sure HK is necessary to get the iconic sounds because I don't have HK (only HiFi) and can't get the iconic sounds. As far as I know, nothing else can be needed except HK. But maybe it's an off line installation, so if you are interested you can ask your dealer. Personally I am not interested of that anyway, so it doesn't really matter why I can't buy it on-line like the drive recorder or the speed cam packages.
 
#48 ·
If they haven’t done it yet, they probably never will. They’re too busy cutting costs and corners to add anything new. I guess that I should have spent the $100 on sounds instead of eSim. 🤔