What's with the shark fin antenna's on BMW's and Audi's

Passions · Mar 31, 2004

UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGLY!!!!!!!!! Looks like a shark fin, yuck!:disgust:

Lifer · Mar 31, 2004

looks better than a long skinny metal wire and functional too.
bet it reduces drag as well.

PoPPeR · Mar 31, 2004

pics?

boyRacer · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: PoPPeR
pics?

Text

Ikonomi · Mar 31, 2004

I've never noticed it, which means it must be doing its job.

imported_Mike · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: Lifer
looks better than a long skinny metal wire and functional too.
bet it reduces drag as well.

bingo

Mill · Mar 31, 2004

GPS, numbnuts.

RagingBITCH · Mar 31, 2004

And/or XM satellite. Just an antenna in general.

johnjbruin · Mar 31, 2004

GPS antenna "usually" doesnt look like that... at least as far as i know.
It is for satellite radio.

Mill · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
GPS antenna "usually" doesnt look like that... at least as far as i know.
It is for satellite radio.

Actually it does in fact look like that. The current Audi one is for satellite radio and GPS. I'd assume the same about BMW>

johnjbruin · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
GPS antenna "usually" doesnt look like that... at least as far as i know.
It is for satellite radio.

Click to expand...

Actually it does in fact look like that. The current Audi one is for satellite radio and GPS. I'd assume the same about BMW>

Interesting... our infiniti has GPS and has no antenna like that.
My friends same car but has no GPS and rather has XM and has an antenna like that.
I always assumed from this that this type of antenna is for satellite radio... guess I was wrong.

Nebor · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: johnjbruin

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
GPS antenna "usually" doesnt look like that... at least as far as i know.
It is for satellite radio.

Click to expand...

Actually it does in fact look like that. The current Audi one is for satellite radio and GPS. I'd assume the same about BMW>

Click to expand...

Interesting... our infiniti has GPS and has no antenna like that.
My friends same car but has no GPS and rather has XM and has an antenna like that.
I always assumed from this that this type of antenna is for satellite radio... guess I was wrong.

I think that the GPS doesn't really need an antenna, but as long as they're putting an antenna on the car, they might as well stick the GPS in there too.

Mill · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: johnjbruin

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
GPS antenna "usually" doesnt look like that... at least as far as i know.
It is for satellite radio.

Click to expand...

Actually it does in fact look like that. The current Audi one is for satellite radio and GPS. I'd assume the same about BMW>

Click to expand...

Interesting... our infiniti has GPS and has no antenna like that.
My friends same car but has no GPS and rather has XM and has an antenna like that.
I always assumed from this that this type of antenna is for satellite radio... guess I was wrong.

They haven't always done like that. Audi's is a combo unit since 2001 I believe, but it might have been earlier. I assume BMWs is the same but I could be wrong.

The Stigenator · Mar 31, 2004

i believe its a satellite radio... the GPS antennat can be hidden..

THe BMW radio antanne atleast for my brothers can is in the rear pillar of the rear window.

Mill · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: The_good_guy
i believe its a satellite radio... the GPS antennat can be hidden..

THe BMW radio antanne atleast for my brothers can is in the rear pillar of the rear window.

The Audi is a GPS/Sat radio combo. I believe BMW is doing or is starting to do the same thing.

FrustratedUser · Mar 31, 2004

It looks like the swaybar differential latch.

Nebor · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
It looks like the swaybar differential latch.

roffles.

NickE · Mar 31, 2004

On the BMW 5 Series, that holds the GPS and telephone antennae.

Confused · Mar 31, 2004

I'm gonna try to get one of those for my car to put my GPS receiver in, as it's not able to view all the sky where it is.

Confused

Don Vito Corleone · Mar 31, 2004

I think they look a lot better than any whip antenna, and are less vulnerable to being broken off by jealous morons.

Emrys · Mar 31, 2004

Yup, antenna, I still think they are a little funny looking, although prolly get used to them as they become more common.

NutBucket · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: Don_Vito
I think they look a lot better than any whip antenna, and are less vulnerable to being broken off by jealous morons.

Agreed. At least having my last antenna snapped into 3 pieces at a concert gave me an excuse to get an electric one.

Asharus · Mar 31, 2004

The antenna on my 92 525i is part of the rear window heating elements.

BDawg · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: Asharus
The antenna on my 92 525i is part of the rear window heating elements.

As is on my 00 Saab 9-5. But those antennas don't work with XM / OnStar / GPS.

Asharus · Mar 31, 2004

Originally posted by: BDawg

Originally posted by: Asharus
The antenna on my 92 525i is part of the rear window heating elements.

Click to expand...

As is on my 00 Saab 9-5. But those antennas don't work with XM / OnStar / GPS.

Yeah, I don't think those existed back in 92, but it does have Airbags and ABS

What's with the shark fin antenna's on BMW's and Audi's

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