BMW Is Really Cool for Having Backdated Cars in Its Accessory Configurator
Even if you have an older Bimmer, you can see how wheels and accessories look on your car.
Not all of us can afford brand-new luxury or sports cars but that shouldn't mean we can't get cool factory upgrades, right? BMW certainly thinks we should be able to, as it not only still offers tons of accessories for older cars but its online configurator is even backdated for them. So you can visualize what they'll look like while you shop.
You can access the Visualizer from accessory pages, or play around with it here.
Admittedly, the configurator isn't backdated further than 2007, and not every model is included in its older years, but it's further back than most other brands' online stores. The oldest model you can configure is the E92 3 Series coupe—for some reason, neither the E90 sedan nor the E91 wagon is available—but the newest few years have every model, including M cars.
With the configurator, you can change colors, spec certain options like roof racks, change wheels, and even add carbon fiber body parts.
Making it even cooler is that it gets pretty model-specific, too. For example, if the 2011 BMW 535i xDrive came with different wheels than the standard 535i, the visualizer will reflect that. The Drive's Executive Editor Andrew Collins was able to tick an “M Sport” box and the site added the body kit, which helped him see what his actual 330i Sports Wagon would look like with certain options. This is also really not helping my desire to get my E90 3 Series back.
There are interior accessories, too, such as shift boots, cargo nets, and floor mats, but they aren't visualized in the configurator, only exterior parts are shown. However, you don't really need to know what the cargo net is going to look like.
BMW has always had a pretty extensive catalog of parts for older cars but this lets you visualize them before you buy. This configurator isn't some groundbreaking technology but it's cool that BMW went through the trouble of adding cars as old as 2007 to it.
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