BMW’s Newest “Innovation” is a Logo-Shaped Middle Finger to Right to Repair
www.ifixit.com
BMW filed a patent for a proprietary screw that looks like the BMW logo. They say it looks cool, we’re worried it’s going to stifle repairs.

Adafruit: From Ultimate Driving Machine to Ultimate Rent-Seeking Machine: The BMW Logo Screw Patent.

If you haven’t already heard, BMW’s R&D teams have been busy “innovating.” Unfortunately, they aren’t focusing on the things that actually matter—like stellar engine performance or the legendary driving dynamics that gearheads love. Instead, the C-suite execs decided that the best use of their engineering budget was to design a proprietary security screw specifically intended to prevent BMW drivers from fixing their own cars.

  • aramis87@fedia.io
    281·
    9 小时前

    Because this head prioritizes branding over utility, neither the bit nor the screw head can withstand the torque of a standard Torx or Hex fastener. The result? Broken bits, stripped screws, and more time spent on what would otherwise be a simple task.

    Ugh.

    • artyom@piefed.socialEnglish
      92·
      8 小时前

      That was my first thought as well. I love torx bolts. I worked on BMWs professionally for a few years and never in all that time did I ever strip a torx bolt. Not even 1.

      Of course, the bolts themselves snapped frequently without touching them due to galvanic reaction to the magnesium block, and the much weaker in general aluminum bolts, but that’s a different problem.