Cars for Stars News

Luxury car makers are looking for ways to adapt their cars in order to accommodate plus size drivers. It’s no secret that as a population, we’re all getting bigger, and car manufacturers are starting to react to larger drivers by tweaking their models so as to offer overweight drivers vehicles which are tailored to their needs.

In a study dubbed “plump my ride”, luxury car maker BMW have recruited 800 volunteers ranging from slim drivers to the obese who have been invited to take part in a range of experiments to gauge how weight has an impact on driving ability and to what extent mobility is limited when plus size drivers get behind the wheel.

BMW say they hope the research will enable them to look at aspects of driving that could be affected by weight, such as getting in and out of a car, and turning around to reverse, and from this study they will develop ways to adapt their cars to ensure drivers of all sizes can enjoy the benefits of driving a luxury car such as a BMW.

Some car manufacturers have already started installing parking distance control devices which displays the rear view of the car on a screen which means drivers who find turning 140 degrees to see the back of their car when parking or reversing challenging will be spared this problem.

Other car manufacturers have revealed that the size of their seats have increased by as much as 2 inches over the last few years, and buttons on control panels have been made bigger to allow for people with larger hands and fingers to press easily.