[indiglo]

Hi all

I know this has been covered to death on these forums, but after trolling through hundreds of posts I can't find an answer to my question.

I have an X3 M40i 2018. I bought it new. It is amazing. Even now, 3 years on. It uses iDrive 6.

Can this car be upgraded to iDrive 7?

Thanks in advance

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by indiglo

Hi all

I know this has been covered to death on these forums, but after trolling through hundreds of posts I can't find an answer to my question.

I have an X3 M40i 2018. I bought it new. It is amazing. Even now, 3 years on. It uses iDrive 6.

Can this car be upgraded to iDrive 7?

Thanks in advance

No, your only way to get it is by getting a LCI

[indiglo]

Finally! A simple answer. Thank you.

[Ravenous666]

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

No, your only way to get it is by getting a LCI

Not exactly.

G01/G02s modelyear 2020 (build after September 2019) with navigation system professional will have iDrive 7 with the limitation of not supporting Remote Software Update.

So the iDrive 7 functionality with the digital dashboard including fullscreen Carplay and Android Auto is exactly the same as on the LCI but if you want it updated to the latest software you need to go to the dealer instead of just downloading it OTA.

LCI nevertheless adds some bonuses besides the RSU like support for optional drive recorder, optional remote start, driving assistance Pro and a larger center display.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by Ravenous666

Not exactly.

G01/G02s modelyear 2020 (build after September 2019) with navigation system professional will have iDrive 7 with the limitation of not supporting Remote Software Update.

So the iDrive 7 functionality with the digital dashboard including fullscreen Carplay and Android Auto is exactly the same as on the LCI but if you want it updated to the latest software you need to go to the dealer instead of just downloading it OTA.

LCI nevertheless adds some bonuses besides the RSU like support for optional drive recorder, optional remote start, driving assistance Pro and a larger center display.

Yeah, I got one of those I Drive 7 lite...

[Jasonmichaeljones]

Yeah - I have a 2020 G01 M40i and I feel like i was scammed by BMW too. What a crock of shit. I wish they would just sell us what is probably one module somewhere + a backup battery to give us full ID7.

Especially insulting now that BMW is now selling remote start as a connected drive upgrade feature... and i cant buy it in my one model year old car.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by Jasonmichaeljones

Yeah - I have a 2020 G01 M40i and I feel like i was scammed by BMW too. What a crock of shit. I wish they would just sell us what is probably one module somewhere + a backup battery to give us full ID7.

Especially insulting now that BMW is now selling remote start as a connected drive upgrade feature... and i cant buy it in my one model year old car.

Yeah they really fucked us over on MY2020 for no reason I can figure out. It is like they felt like they had way way too many iDrive 7 head units and just needed to desperately get rid of them right before the LCI on the 5 and X3.

Since the MY2020 cars are basically iDrive 6 cars with the iDrive 7 head unit in theory an iDrive 6 car can actually be upgraded aftermarket to iDrive 7, but the iDrive 7 cars are too new to serve as donor cars to harvest from. I expect we'll see this stuff happening in a few years.

[Douggie]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Yeah they really fucked us over on MY2020 for no reason I can figure out. It is like they felt like they had way way too many iDrive 7 head units and just needed to desperately get rid of them right before the LCI on the 5 and X3.

Since the MY2020 cars are basically iDrive 6 cars with the iDrive 7 head unit in theory an iDrive 6 car can actually be upgraded aftermarket to iDrive 7, but the iDrive 7 cars are too new to serve as donor cars to harvest from. I expect we'll see this stuff happening in a few years.

Yes, that was quite shocking for a non LCI update. They surprised me with the updates in the interior with a full iDrive 7 for the MY2022 LCI as well (they didn't change the interior for the 5 and 7 LCI). They have really changed the update patterns.

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Yeah they really fucked us over on MY2020 for no reason I can figure out. It is like they felt like they had way way too many iDrive 7 head units and just needed to desperately get rid of them right before the LCI on the 5 and X3.

Since the MY2020 cars are basically iDrive 6 cars with the iDrive 7 head unit in theory an iDrive 6 car can actually be upgraded aftermarket to iDrive 7, but the iDrive 7 cars are too new to serve as donor cars to harvest from. I expect we'll see this stuff happening in a few years.

That's really not how it works nor how easy it will be to "upgrade" to idrive 7 from idrive 6. There's other hardware that's different. But if you do try be sure to make a thread.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by freshxdough

That's really not how it works nor how easy it will be to "upgrade" to idrive 7 from idrive 6. There's other hardware that's different. But if you do try be sure to make a thread.

I won't claim to know the full extent of the hardware changes needed, but I do know that the iDrive 7 version on MY2020 5-Series and X3 cars is not the full set of hardware iDrive 7 changes. It is something along the lines of head unit and RAM module and nothing else. The lack of anything else is why we don't get any other iDrive 7 features and have no Remote Software Updates, valet mode, Digital Key, lane information in navigation display, etc...

I still need to have my BMW dealer install the valet mode switch in my car because BMW accidentally deleted the switch and wiring in the factory for the first 6 months or so of the MY2020 production. The switch isn't needed on iDrive 7 cars with the SP18 hardware (like the LCI G30), but it is needed on cars with SP15 hardware (from 2017-2020).

I won't need to do the tweaking though as I am already in purgatory with iDrive 7 "Lite" on MY2020 in my 530e.

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I won't claim to know the full extent of the hardware changes needed, but I do know that the iDrive 7 version on MY2020 5-Series and X3 cars is not the full set of hardware iDrive 7 changes. It is something along the lines of head unit and RAM module and nothing else. The lack of anything else is why we don't get any other iDrive 7 features and have no Remote Software Updates, valet mode, Digital Key, lane information in navigation display, etc...

I still need to have my BMW dealer install the valet mode switch in my car because BMW accidentally deleted the switch and wiring in the factory for the first 6 months or so of the MY2020 production. The switch isn't needed on iDrive 7 cars with the SP18 hardware (like the LCI G30), but it is needed on cars with SP15 hardware (from 2017-2020).

I won't need to do the tweaking though as I am already in purgatory with iDrive 7 "Lite" on MY2020 in my 530e.

Likely has other different modules too like the BDC. It's not as simple as you are thinking it is. Swapping over one or two modules to make it suddenly have SP18 idrive 7.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by freshxdough

Likely has other different modules too like the BDC. It's not as simple as you are thinking it is. Swapping over one or two modules to make it suddenly have SP18 idrive 7.

I wasn't suggesting it being a simple 1 or 2 part change to turn a SP15 car into a SP18 car, but was suggesting it is likely not a significant change to take a SP15 car with iDrive 6 to SP15 car with iDrive 7 since BMW already created that with MY2020 cars.

The BDC and etc is the same from my understanding between MY2019 and MY2020 5-Series cars. They changed it with the LCI in MY2021 which has SP18 and "Full" iDrive 7.