How The BMW i7' s Crazy Swarovski Crystal Headlights Are Made CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News How The BMW i7' s Crazy Swarovski Crystal Headlights Are Made

How The BMW i7' s Crazy Swarovski Crystal Headlights Are Made

May. 10, 2022 7:19 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Electric Vehicles / 8 Comments It's quite a process. Wattens is a small community in Austrian Tyrol. In it live around 8,000 people. But it's better known for the company it houses: the world-famous Swarovski. The brand is known for producing some of the finest crystal jewelry on the planet. But it also dabbles in auto parts manufacturing, which is why we're here. The BMW i7 has headlights that aren't just your typical glass and plastic projectors. Instead, they use Swarovski crystal for the projector. The Bavarian brand calls them "BMW Iconic Glow headlights," which are a first on any BMW model. Where these crystals start their lives isn't wholly dissimilar to where the rest of the i7 starts its life. In a very hot room. BMW BMW/YouTube The process starts with smelting, like so many of the i7's other bits and pieces. From there crystals are moved to a factory where they can be cut and coated. That process uses machines rather than human hands, presumably to meet the necessary specs for the lights. A slight deviation in the crystal means that the light won't go to the right place. After that, a technician thoroughly inspects each crystal before sending it off to its fate. BMW wanted the crystals to look unlike anything Swarovski had made before. It says the crystals had to look grown, and not like jewelry. We're betting this is a nice way of saying "those very expensive crystals had better look super rad." In all honesty, they definitely do. Once in place, the crystals run the length of the i7's upper headlight housing, which makes up the daytime running light and turn signal. BMW/YouTube BMW/YouTube BMW/YouTube BMW/YouTube We've seen the i7 in person, and we can confirm that the crystals catch a good bit of light even when not backlit by the car's LEDs. It creates a very unique effect that BMW is sure to capitalize on when you walk up to the car. Given the i7's starting price of $119,300, we'd expect nothing less. The first electric 7 Series produces around 536 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque and should be good for 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. In other words, those very expensive-looking crystals will be in for a hell of a ride. Speaking of pricing, we're uncertain how much these will cost to replace should they be damaged. Given the effort that goes into making them, we're sure it won't be cheap. Maybe you can make a chandelier with what's left. BMW/YouTube BMW BMW BMW

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BMW i7 Chase Bierenkoven Associate Editor Shortly before applying to law school, Chase decided to take a chance on pursuing his dream job: playing with cars and getting paid for it. Law school was just a means to an end, after all. His first writing job was freelance and barely paid his grocery bill. It quickly turned into a full-time position, eventually leading Chase to join CarBuzz in 2022. Chase now tests cars, and sits comfortably at the news desk when he's not in the driver's seat. In his spare time, Chase can be heard trying to play guitar, or out enjoying Colorado's natural splendor in his BMW M3. Contact Chase @bierenkoven @cbier823 LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top