Some carmakers would have you believe that it's no longer enough to simply drive around in their product, that driving is now a connected experience and one to share with a wider audience than just your passengers.
To this end, BMW's new mobile app, "The Ultimate Drive" lets you discover the best driving roads in over 50 countries, and also rank, comment on and share those roads via social network sites like Facebook, or by email and GPS devices.
BMW calls it a social navigation mobile app and it's the product of BMW Financial Services, which also aims to integrate the ability for customers to gain points and achieve rankings.
The app is designed to link BMW Financial Services to its customers in a more engaging and exciting way than you'd normally expect from a finance provider. "We’ve found that the success of applications like ‘The Ultimate Drive’ is built on organic growth amongst friends and enthusiasts with similar profiles" explained Daniel Pifko, CEO and Co-Founder of SocialNav.
By connecting app users to like-minded driving enthusiasts the app should build strong bonds not only between customers, but with the cars and the brand itself.
"The Ultimate Drive", desgined by San Francisco-based software and technology firm SocialNav Inc, is designed to be effortless to use to its full potential. Once downloaded, the app uses GPS to find your location and then displays nearby roads that BMW and other users have recommended. If you happen to find a great driving road yourself, it can be shared via email or Facebook in as little as three taps.
The app is available on the Apple iPhone's iOS operating system and on Android devices, through the App Store and Android Marketplace. As with all the best things in life, it's also completely free. Ultimate Driving Machine not included.
[BMW]
