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.
I’m sure they will but that requires owners to go out and buy a kit of specialty tools for that one job, which may be too much investment. And many people are just not savvy enough to do that, they see “specialty tools” and throw up their hands.
Have you done any work on your own vehicle? Because buying a tool just to do one job happens all the time.
I’m a professional, I have thousands of tools I use on a regular basis, and I use them to make money
If you work on your own car you have enough savvy to go out and get a specialty bit.
You might also elect not to. Tell me, what do you think is the purpose of this special fastener?
It’s a special bit, that’s it. Do you have any idea how many bits/sockets/adapters I already own that only fit one vehicle? TONS. That’s just the nature of vehicles and maintenance. And I’m pretty sure if you own a BMW, you can afford a $5 bit. This is a nothing burger. It’s just people jumping on the BMW hate, which if you were smart, there’s plenty of actual things they overcharge up the ass for. This isn’t one of them. You might as well complain about locking lug nuts as a whole because that’s really all this is.
It would go with the tool I bought just to loosen a single plumbing fixture.
More likely it’s a whole set of bits. Why do you think they’re doing this? Apple invented a new screw. Why do you think they did that? None of it is intended to slow down professional repair businesses, it’s to stop DIYers.
LOL locking lugnuts prevent theft. Do you think that’s what the purpose of this is?
You mean apples proprietary bit that comes with any cheap as fuck set of security bits? I have an electronics screwdriver set that cost me $10 and does ALL THE BITS, including Apples.
Locking lug nuts: you mean the thing most people with nice rims use? People who own things like a BMW? So instead of the one specific locking bit they now have this specific locking bit? So a 1:1 swap for one custom bit to another? Except locking lug nuts are individualized and need the very specific adapter for each one, where this one is generic and would work on ALL BMW locking bolts.
Also, you realize this is a standard bolt, right? As in, you can take it out and put a standard one in if it bothers you.
This is nothing but morons being outraged. It’s like people complaining about tax cuts for the rich as if you’re gonna be a billionaire someday. Your civic is gonna be just fine and for the people actually in this situation who already pay things like $300 for a replacement window switch, this $5 tool is meaningless.
One and only (AFAIK)
Did you just completely ignore what I said about this being a security item?
The only moron here is the one who doesn’t read comments before replying to them. If you can’t tell me what you think the purpose of this bolt is, then don’t reply to me again.
Yeah, I addressed that, can you not read? There’s a whole paragraph there. I think you might be a bit slow buddy. In fact, your only quote about security was mocking it. But now your pro security? Really I think you’re just a jackass 🤷♂️
I read the entire paragraph and at no time did you address your failed analogy that these are not for theft prevention. But thank you for acknowledging that you have no idea what they’re for. You’re being blocked now.