[RahulNagaraj]

As a general rule, good German cars don’t have conventional cup holders. There are some exceptions, the current BMW M340i is just about perfect and has normal cup holders, and the W203 Mercedes-Benz C-Class was generally quite crap and had this astoundingly complex contraption that moved in three dimensions and offered two-story storage, but the adage generally holds true. Of course, there’s a very good reason why most manufacturers prefer their cup holders to be recessed into the centre console – it’s a cheap design with few moving parts and an incredibly low likelihood of breaking. Contrast that with German solutions that make 246 years of American history seem simple, and you can start to see why German automakers abandoned nifty yet preposterous beverage storage solutions.

Simply press the faceplate, and the dashboard elegantly extends a cupholder that ratchets down to your size du jour. Not only can one of these cup holders deftly handle anything from a slim can of Red Bull to a reasonably-sized milkshake, it also sits within easy reach yet out of the way of everything. It doesn’t block the shifter, the handbrake, the climate controls, the stereo, or the armrest. It’s ergonomically perfect, despite its complexity and the sheer number of moving plastic parts. Unfortunately, moving plastic parts almost always break on a long enough timeline. With nearly 17 years and more than 175,000 miles on the clock, time was very much up for my original cup holders. So, let’s see what my local BMW dealership charges for replacements.

Granted, we’re dealing in Canadian Dollars here, but $120 for a cup holder that isn’t actually correct for my early car is a little annoying. See, later E90s gained metallic strips on the cup holders, while early ones were stealthy and monotone. Still, I found suitable replacements for cheaper than what the dealership wanted and cup holder replacement is a job worth doing, so I lightened my wallet a touch. I still need to pick up some replacement clips for the trim piece to make it sit perfectly flush, but hey, two functional cup holders! While no part of this probably seems interesting, it’s time we get to the fun bit. Let’s crack open one of the old cup holders and see what’s inside.

Let’s start with the bits we can see with the cup holder removed from the car. As is typical for E90s, this cup holder has developed some play in the mechanism, preventing smooth operation. However, we can see some remarkable complexity right off the bat. Starting from the front, the little hinged flap for conforming to various drink sizes is held taut with a spring on the hinge. What isn’t so obvious at first glance is how that piece of plastic with a sprung hinge is attached to the second piece of plastic with a sprung hinge, this time featuring two separate springs. Why? Well, an articulated design grips more cups more tightly, and differing hinge resistance promotes folding in the proper sequence.

Speaking of holding cups tightly, the long edges of the cup holder cassette are ribbed for your pleasure, adding rigidity so your passenger doesn’t end up with a lap full of latte.

As for the platform that forms the base of the cup holder, it’s actually quite ingenious. Not only does the rubberized insert prevent cans from rattling, but the hinged design also takes up minimal space. The base itself moves freely on the hinge shared with the rear support, while the rear support is properly rugged with a well-sized hinge and an assist spring. A separate hinged piece fits nicely into divots on the underside of the cup holder base and provides additional support.

Moving around to the back of the cup holder, there’s a nice little rubber nub to absorb vibration and prevent the cup holder from rattling against the dashboard. Fairly standard stuff, but opening things up reveals where standard stops.

Pry off the underside of the cup holder case, and the first thing you’ll likely notice is a thin piece of metal wrapped around a plastic roller, terminating in an unusual t-shaped head. This nifty piece functions as a spring, allowing necessary space between the cassette and the back of the case so the eccentric latch mechanism can do its job.

While it’s easy to miss this strange piece of plastic pressed into the case, it serves a critical function. As the cup holder cassette retracts, a pin on the top of the cassette finds its way into this little piece of plastic, following the curve on the left. As soon as compression’s let out on that aforementioned spring, the pin on the cartridge drops into a gate on the eccentric mechanism and keeps the cup holder shut. To extend the cup holder, press on the face plate to place the spring under compression, and the pin drops into another gate that guides along the outer curve in the mechanism. Similar mechanisms are used all the time in the automotive industry, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to see one here.

Now, once the pin on the cassette is free of its keeping gate, the whole cassette extends, guided on three tracks. Two typical flat channels guide the spring and inboard side, while the outboard side rides on a partially-geared track. That gear is retained in the cassette using relief and a cover so it always makes great contact with its mating teeth. Good stuff. Oh, and right next to the gear cover is another little rubber piece to prevent the cassette from rattling against the back of the casing.

While this is all quite neat, it doesn’t exactly explain how the cup holder base extends and retracts with the cup holder. After all, it stays flat through almost this entire circus and can’t have been designed in a manner that would let it jam. So what did BMW’s designers do? They used a little crank on the cup holder base back plate hinge (say that five times fast) and a special little rocker arm. That rocker arm is hinged in the middle and has a little head that rides on a track on the side of the cup holder. As the cup holder cassette reaches the end of its travel, the channel for the arm kinks up, lifting the rearward end of the arm, applying pressure to the crank and lowering the cup holder base. It’s an absolutely absurd mechanism, but it’s likely the cheapest way of getting the job done.

Seeing this cup holder apart, you just get the sense that someone in Munich looked at the pull-out dashboard cup holders in a 1995 Toyota Pickup and thought, “How can we make this 15 times more complicated and 10 times more expensive?” It’s just such a ridiculous and unnecessary solution to satisfying the American urge for sugar-laden caffeine on the move. Yet despite its complexity and fallibility, the old adage still applies – when it works properly, it’ll make you wonder why everyone else doesn’t copy it.

Honestly, the cup holders on my E90 325i are so good that I genuinely don’t mind spending money as necessary to keep them in operation.

Source: theautopian

[Rshrey22]

This is the exact same kind of cup holder that was used in the 2nd gen Dzire. A slightly crude variant of this exact mechanism was even offered in Wagon R Vxi from 2009-2017 model.

Crazy how cool MS was during early 2010s.

[Kosfactor]

2nd Gen Swift had these, you can use the AC vent to cool your beverage can as well.

It was cooler that way, sorry BMW.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

It was cooler that way, sorry BMW.

Have to look at the context. German companies were reluctant to give cup holders since they couldn't understand why one would have food/beverages while concentrating on driving. So they resisted, but had to give in. A big thing for Germans unlike the Japanese who provided one from the 90s itself. So they went far to hide these abominations in their interiors. Ofcourse it had to be Germanically complex as possible.

The Americans had the moulded plastic depression cup holders in the 80s, but guess it is the Japs (Toyota?) who brought the pop out from the dashboard cupholders first.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Have to look at the context. German companies were reluctant to give cup holders since they couldn't understand why one would have food/beverages while concentrating on driving. So they resisted, but had to give in.

Eisenhower was Impressed by the highway system in Germany and decided to get some built in his country in the 50s. So I'm not sure why Germans were reluctant to have them in their cars.

Great roads , won't hurt to have a cup holder somewhere at least for the passenger.

By the way 95 Esteem had a slide out cup holder ahead of the gear lever, simple one but even the owners did not know it existed.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Eisenhower was Impressed by the highway system in Germany and decided to get some built in his country in the 50s. So I'm not sure why Germans were reluctant to have them in their cars....Great roads , won't hurt to have a cup holder somewhere at least for the passenger.

Guess, cultural difference.

Germans would want to go from point A to point B and if they want to eat something or drink coffee, they will stop somewhere and have it. If we go by Lord Jezza's words, all Europeans think likewise. The Germans take driving seriously, hence all the strict laws and fitness tests, but have autobahns without speed limits.

Americans, land of automatic tranny and drive-thrus commute and travel more in greater distances. Driving for them is a daily chore and that is why we see most convenience/comfort features introduced in American cars.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

By the way 95 Esteem had a slide out cup holder ahead of the gear lever, simple one but even the owners did not know it existed.

Wait, not just Esteem. Didn't the 800 (or higher variants of the 800) too had a centre console with flimsy slide out cupholders? Or was it 800s accessorised with Esteem parts?

We shouldn't even be talking about these. Our roads and traffic means we should be only using the term 'bottle holders'.

[mihir_m13]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Guess, cultural difference.

Germans would want to go from point A to point B and if they want to eat something or drink coffee, they will stop somewhere and have it. If we go by Lord Jezza's words, all Europeans think likewise. The Germans take driving seriously, hence all the strict laws and fitness tests, but have autobahns without speed limits.

Americans, land of automatic tranny and drive-thrus commute and travel more in greater distances. Driving for them is a daily chore and that is why we see most convenience/comfort features introduced in American cars.



Wait, not just Esteem. Didn't the 800 (or higher variants of the 800) too had a centre console with flimsy slide out cupholders? Or was it 800s accessorised with Esteem parts?

We shouldn't even be talking about these. Our roads and traffic means we should be only using the term 'bottle holders'.

The original 800 - 1985 Model - had an pull out ashtray in the center and press & slide out ashtray in the rear doors. I don't think there were cup holders.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by mihir_m13

The original 800 - 1985 Model - had an pull out ashtray in the center and press & slide out ashtray in the rear doors. I don't think there were cup holders.

Guess this is the one. Though I am still not sure if it was offered in the Deluxe variant or if it was an accessory. Could even be that 1000/Esteem parts were being used aftermarket in the 800.

[sudhirjaipur]

I used to have something similar in my SAAB 9-5, only the slot was vertical and the cup holder used to com out twist and become horizontal. This video shows it

https://youtu.be/jb8_qRH1Lzo

[hondatoyotafan]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

Attachment 2337302

Used to have these on my 2013 BMW 335i in the US. Was one of my favorite features important in drive thru Starbucks and Dunkin Murica

[KANNURAN]

Ah, the JOY of Engineering! I rejoice in the deep thought that goes into it. (the SAAB video is another example)

Having said that, we could take a staid cup-holder to different levels of complexity (and utility):

A gyro-stabilized unit that pivots to deter spills
A spill receptacle that collects the spill, in case the gyro mechanism maxes out
A temperature sensor that deflects the AC cooling channel when it senses a hot beverage
A heating jacket when one wants to retain the hot drink for longer
An auto slide-out lid controlled by an arm-position sensing AI camera
An AI face and drink camera in tandem, that provides the user, stats and analytics of drink consumption
And an integrated alcohol sensor that shuts the lid tight

But EFFICIENCY is the keyword. The design that gives us the maximum utility delta at the minimum cost and complexity is the king. A bit like the viral one about the Soviet PENCIL trumping the over-engineered pen the Americans designed for space use.

[RijuC]

I am delighted to learn that my humble Swift has a premium feature- a cup holder in front of the left side AC vent. Sometimes I use it to keep the cans of energy drink or aerated drinks or cold coffee etc. It's very convenient and the chilled air flow from the AC vent keeps it cool for considerable time, that I do not miss a cooled glove box or storage. However, it accomodates only one can.

[sach.sri]

even my Wagon R has this kind of cup holder (same as what Riju has shown)

[mihir_m13]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Attachment 2337835

Guess this is the one. Though I am still not sure if it was offered in the Deluxe variant or if it was an accessory. Could even be that 1000/Esteem parts were being used aftermarket in the 800.

This bottom of the gear shaft appears different. I remember the one in 800 had a long gear shaft and there was no center console as seen here. The guy sitting next to the drivers seat could reach the brakes with his feet...... I remember as my father had to do it a few times when he was teaching me to drive

[UncleSam]

Originally Posted by RijuC

I am delighted to learn that my humble Swift has a premium feature- a cup holder in front of the left side AC vent. Sometimes I use it to keep the cans of energy drink or aerated drinks or cold coffee etc. It's very convenient and the chilled air flow from the AC vent keeps it cool for considerable time, that I do not miss a cooled glove box or storage. However, it accomodates only one can.

Even the Wagon R has a similar setup for holding cups and cans and bottles and whatnot.