CARS > BMW owners get iPod as co-pilot

iPods are about to hitch a ride in more BMWs. The carmaker on Wednesday announced the debut of a new interface for iPod that will enable integration of the music player in the newest generation of beemers.

The interface will be available for owners of the new BMW 3 series sedans and sports wagons, as well as the 5, 6 and 7 series. It will also be available for the new M5 sedan and M6 coupe. With it, audiophile roadsters can plug their music collections directly into their car's sound system and access and sort their music library, shuffle songs, skip between tracks and adjust volume--all, BMW says, without any loss of sound quality or driving control (we hope). Artist, album and song title will appear in the display monitor.

The new interface is compatible with Sirius satellite radio, as well as the recently introduced HD Radio. It will be available for customers to purchase at BMW centers beginning in July, but pricing has not been determined. The original BMW iPod adapter, meanwhile, will continue to be available for 2002 and later BMW models: X3, X5, Z4 and previous-generation 3 series.

More and more car companies, including Audi, Volkswagen and Honda, have announced iPod features, with Apple Computer estimating that more than 5 million cars will ship with iPod support in the United States in 2006.