BMW M4 Iconic Lights

How much a sign of the times is it that auto manufacturers are now happy to showcase new cars and tech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2015 in Las Vegas, even before they drop them at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show? Following in the Mercedes Luxury in Motion concept’s steps is the BMW M4 with intelligent laserlight technology; the firm simply calls it the M4 Iconic Lights concept.

The M4 itself is completely unchanged but the light fixtures themselves feature a fresh aesthetic interpretation of the typical BMW twin round lights. The new laser tech is more advanced than ever and can be identified by the fine blue strip located inside the light. BMW say the trick lights feature ‘High Power Laser’ diodes that can light up more than 600m ahead of the car but they can even project driver information directly onto the road in front of the vehicle like a fancy heads-up display.

While around the rear both the taillights and indicator lights feature thin semi-conducting layers of organic material known as OLEDs, or organic light-emitting diodes. The illuminated surfaces are positioned to produce a cool 3D effect, and boy, don’t they look the business?

So what are the advantages of OLEDs? BMW say they provide better light cover, naturally, but selective beam laserlights can be integrated with assistance systems and vehicle sensors seamlessly – like the satellite navigation to illuminate corners in advance, or night vision to warn of pedestrians. They also take up less room because of their thin 1.4mm size.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of OLED tech from BMW, mind you. The BMW Vision Future Luxury model showcased similar tech, but the M4 Iconic Lights concept certainly gets our attention. BMW say it will launch a production model featuring OLED technology in the near future. We can’t wait for that.