BMW M Laptimer App gains GoPro integration

It is with good reason that GoPro have become the go-to action camera of choice for almost every sporting activity, from surfing to skiing to mountain climbing to, well, motor racing. In fact the name “GoPro” itself has become synonymous with action cameras, thanks to its immense flexibility, great video quality, and compatibility with a host of other platforms. The latest brand to join hands with GoPro is none other than BMW’s M division, the revered performance arm of the Bavarian carmaker.

The two companies have announced a new version of the BMW M Laptimer app complete with full support for GoPro cameras, courtesy of the GoPro Developer Program. To give you a bit of a background, M Laptimer is BMW's telemetry-recording software, linking with the company's cars and storing race day details for later review. It's already been able to automatically figure out when you start and finish a lap, overlay your route onto a satellite map of the track, and give you metrics - like engine speed, gearing, and other factors - as you drive around.

And now, M Laptimer will include the ability to control a camera GoPro on iOS devices through the iDrive controller and the car’s high resolution display. With this enhancement, when BMW drivers start and stop the BMW M Laptimer they simultaneously start and stop the recording of the connected GoPro camera. In addition to the video stored on the GoPro camera, a low-res version is saved on the phone so that it can be played back next to the map view on the BMW M Laptimer app.

This is not the first time that BMW has teamed up with GoPro. Back in mid-2014, select BMW and MINI cars gained the ability - courtesy of their companion iPhone apps - to remotely start, stop, and preview GoPro recordings through the infotainment system. That integration, however, lacked the telemetry sync of the new system BMW demonstrated at the launch with a 2016 BMW M2.

The M Laptimer app is a free download for iPhone, though your car will need to have the BMW ConnectedDrive option installed. The smartphone must be paired to the car, either through the proprietary iPhone USB cable or via the BMW Accessory snap-in adaptor for iPhone.