renting car options
2014-01-22 17:52:08.280926+00 by
Dan Lyke
3 comments
Autocar: Mini should have UK design studio reports from MINI's Peter Schwarzenbauer talking at the Detroit Auto Show:
More radically, he says BMW is also considering downloadable apps that would allow the car to be upgraded, and downgraded too if the next owner didn’t want to pay for the feature. As an example he cites seat heater elements, which would be built into all Minis and activated by buying an app that the next owner could decline if they didn’t want it. In effect, it would be like renting certain options.
(Via /. which also references Will You Rent Options & Upgrades On Your Next Car?)
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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2014-01-23 17:39:38.624785+00 by:
Dan Lyke
The logical end of this is two-fold:
- Demand-based pricing: Cold snap? Cost of using those seat heaters goes up.
- Erosion of the right to repair: Fixing those seat heaters could be bypassing DRM...
#Comment Re: made: 2014-01-23 20:17:29.30974+00 by:
Mars Saxman
No, Mr. Schwarzenbauer; no, hell no, and fuck you for suggesting it.
#Comment Re: made: 2014-01-24 17:26:09.472774+00 by:
meuon
My Mini is a "base model", it does not have "intermittent windshield wipers", yet twice, through
some random series of actions I have enabled them. It goes away when I turn the car off. It
frustrates me that there is a latent capability that is present, but turned off, that I am pretty sure I
paid for the technical capacity for it in my car. I've been told that if I install a steering wheel with
the cruise control and radio control buttons, those features will just work. At least they require
some different hardware.
Not a fan of the idea. If it's cheaper to make all of the cars the same with those parts, just make it
part of the base package price.