OSLO: The new 2016 BMW 7 Series has just been launched on the Chinese car market with pricing starting at 1.18 million yuan and ending at 1.98 million yuan ($187,000-$313,000). BMW has repeatedly said the Chinese market is the second most important after U.S. and the Bavarians plan to offer all the gimmicks available in the new 7er. One of them is an old school car phone which will find its home in the armrest between the rear seats.
BMW has omitted to mention the optional car phone in their marketing materials, but apparently it’s an option in some markets. In Germany for example, one can purchase the car phone for 830 Euros. The phone is likely connected to the cars’ telematics and all calls will go through the carriers network. For the previous generation 7 Series, the official brochures described the car phone as the following: “The optional extra identified by option code 6NB is a car hotspot with a holder for a SIM card and a cord- less handset. Both components are built into the centre armrest. The car hotspot is directly connected to the car’s external aerial.”
