Amazon Is About Make BMW A Whole Lot Easier To Live With

Thanks to some intelligent Alexa voice commands.

Amazon has done a lot to make our lives easier. It's hard to even remember life without free two-day shipping. The tech giant has recently expressed interest in improving the car buying process, but will start off in the auto industry by fixing one of the most annoying features on modern cars: voice control. Amazon announced a partnership to include its Alexa voice command on BMW models. This was an exciting announcement, because in-car voice commands have been one of the most infuriating things about modern car infotainment.

An app called BMW Connected Skill has been available for Amazon Echo, which allows users to ask about vehicle information such as fuel level or charge. Now we can get a better idea of how Alexa will work in the actual car.

In the video, we see a driver sliding an M4 around an aircraft carrier that has been turned into a race track (which is obviously something that most people do). The driver is able to ask Alexa to set a timer for 30 seconds, turn on his favorite song, tell him the current weather, order a pizza and even open a garage door all while keeping his hands on the wheel. The system will utilize a built-in SIM card, so it won't rely on a smartphone. This feature will also be available on Mini models, but there is no word on whether Rolls-Royce owners should expect to get this helpful feature. Expect to see Alexa in all BMW vehicles starting mid-2018 in the US, UK and Germany.

Audi Takes Amazon Shoppers On Unforgettable Test Drive

The automaker wants to revolutionize how we test drive cars.

Amazon is continually revolutionizing the way we shop, and now Audi has attempted to revolutionize how we test drive cars. While most dealership test drives encompass a small mundane route, Audi partnered with Amazon Go to take shoppers on a “test drive into the unknown” using the new technologically advanced 2019 A6 sedan.

Amazon Go stores use advanced technology that allows shoppers to pick up their items and leave the store without having to wait in line at a checkout as sensors detect the items. Audi filled shelves inside an Amazon Go store with key boxes, inviting shoppers to “trade their time for a test drive” in the 2019 A6 without having to visit a dealership or talk to a pushy salesperson. In return, the automaker promised the participants to give them more than they “ever expected.”

More than 100 drivers responded to Audi’s invitation. Each driver was taken on a 30-minute route to an unknown destination and activity. The surprises included a private symphony concert, a painting workshop, and an “epic” public photo session. The drivers were then asked if they wanted to continue their trip into the unknown and went on even longer three-hour drives.

To reward them for their time, Audi treated one lucky participant with a flying lesson in a helicopter above the city. Amazingly, another person willing to drop everything was flown over to Audi’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, for a five-day luxury trip, where they were given a tour of the headquarters and were able to take the A6 for a drive on the Autobahn.

It’s a very clever and innovative advertising campaign, and these unconventional test drives are apparently a sneak peek at what Audi plans to incorporate into its branding and marketing in the future, with the aim to reach buyers in new ways.

"As a brand rooted in innovation and pushing boundaries, we at Audi wanted to break category paradigms for what a test drive could be,” Loren Angelo, vice president, Marketing, Audi of America. “Locating our test drive at Amazon Go allowed us to experiment with a new kind of retail environment while transforming the test drive into an adventure. In doing so, customers were able to have a one-of-a-kind experience and make a car purchasing decision at a time and place that may be more convenient to them.”