What's all this about?

There's a big technology show going on in Las Vegas in January, called the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and BMW will be showing off a highly automated i3 research vehicle at the event.

What's so special about it?

The self-driving i3 uses four lasers mounted on the car that provide 360-degree 'vision', helping the on-board anti-collision systems avoid embarrassing bumps into pillars, walls, other cars and the like. BMW says it promises the possibility of collision-free driving.

Is this proper automation or a driver assist feature?

It's a bit of both, as the car can be used with a human on board, but can also allegedly park itself in a multi-storey car park without recourse to a driver at any point.

Has BMW got previous on the self-driving car front?

Yes, more than five years ago its BMW Track Trainer 330i did a highly automated lap of the Nürburgring. So it knows what it is doing on this score. We've even experienced the technology for ourselves from the passenger seat of an autonomous BMW 5 Series.