BMW Will Debut Self-Parking Feature This Year

BMW AG says its next-generation 7 Series large sedan is the industry's first production car that can park itself with no one behind the wheel. The car will go on sale in Europe this autumn.

The self-parking feature enables the operator exit the car, then use the key fob to command the vehicle to inch its way into ultra-tight parking spots. The system requires the driver to be within about six feet of the car during the maneuver.

Other technologies due in the 7 Series:

• Gesture recognition controls, including the ability of the driver to program a specific gesture to a custom function
• Carbon-fiber-reinforced "carbon core" that reduces vehicle weight by about 290 lbs
• New 6-cylinder twin-turbocharged engines
• Semi-autonomous self-driving capabilities from zero to 130 mph