As if the iDrive system BMW uses in its high-end models wasn’t complicating enough, they’re apparently fitting it a touchpad controller like you get on smartphones. Preh GmbH, a company that supplies German auto makers with climate controls, driver controls, sensor systems and such released a clip of a touch-based iDrive control system they have come up with.

What does it have to do with BMW? Well, the most recent spyshots revealed a new iDrive knob in the next-gen BMW X5, and it looks suspiciously like the one in Preh’s video:

The system has a wide range of cool features such as handwriting detection and multi-touch type gestures – as seen in a number of Audi models. It will make the new Bimmers look even more technologically advanced, but to live with everyday, we think we prefer old-fashioned knobs and buttons than all this smartphone nonsense. It all sounds like extra garnish we don’t really need and can do without.

via e90post