New GPS system from BMW steers drivers away from bad weather

We've already heard of GPS systems that can help us dodge traffic jams and get home quicker, but what about a GPS system that can get you home drier? BMW is introducing just such a system, and for those choosing to use it the special GPS unit will help navigate them away from rain and hail and towards blue skies and sunshine.

Described as an on-board precipitation radar, BMW says the system will be useful for drivers with convertibles, as well as helping all drivers to avoid damage to their cars from hail. Featuring a graphic display, the system is updated every 15 minutes with weather information, showing drivers the geographic distribution of rain, snow and hail. The system shows this information for both the current location and the destination in real-time.

Additionally, BMW will be trying to get a leg up on its competitors' similar products with a new feature called Precipitation Pattern that’s planned for introduction in July and will allow users to see an animated representation of cloud movement from the previous 90 minutes.

The system is on offer in Germany at the moment, and will be compatible with any cars using BMW's ConnectedDrive, meaning it could be fairly easy to incorporate into American vehicles - whether or not BMW will offer this service in North America, however, remains uncertain but there shouldn't be too many hurdles in bringing it over.