BMW M4 Cabriolet 4-Channel Installation
Most of our convertible driving customers opt for a 1 channel dash cam as it's difficult to find a good mounting spot for a rear camera on a convertible, since there's no fixed rear windshield to attach the camera to. Some customers will mount a rear facing camera on the front window facing towards the interior to record the cabin as an alternative but this setup offers a compromised view for capturing the rear as the camera is just so far from the rear bumper.
The setup our customer installed in his M4 offers 4 channels of coverage with two sets of Thinkware F770, which is good for recording activity out the front and rear windows, as well as the sides in case of a door ding. A four camera setup needs a sufficient power supply to keep the cameras running in parking mode so he has a Cellink Battery B + Expansion pack to keep his cameras going with motion detection. When the batteries are fully charged, these cameras can be powered for more than 40 hours in parking mode!
Even when running a standard 1 Channel or 2 Channel camera setup in an M4, we would still recommend going with the Cellink Battery Pack. These high end sports cars run a lightweight lithium battery that will go into a safe mode if too much voltage is drained while the car is off which is the case with standard hardwire kits like the Thinkware Hardwire Kit or Power Magic Pro. When the safe mode is triggered, features like the comfort access (keyless entry) will be disabled to reduce battery drain. Low battery warnings will also appear on the dashboard and iDrive screen. Furthermore, the deep-cycling that occurs with traditional hardwire kits will cause added wear and tear on the expensive lithium battery. The replacement cost for this lightweight lithium battery can be upwards of $1000 USD, so we highly recommend getting the Cellink Battery to protect it.
With no further ado, here are the installation pictures of our customer's unique installation
- Our customer pieced together a bracket with a 25mm carbon fiber tube, 1" marine bimini top caps, shelf brackets, insulated pipe clamp, and some nuts/bolts
- There's a compartment that normally holds a wind deflector which our customer removed to place the 4 Cellink batteries. Once the cover is in place the batteries are hidden from sight. Our customer put a thermometer inside to see if it would get too hot but saw no significant temperature change with the four batteries inside. The Cellink Battery B does not generate much heat at all
- Two side cameras mounted on the side panels of the back seat are capable of recording door dings. This part does not open with the roof mechanism so it's safe to mount here.
- The front camera is attached by a series of GoPro extensions and a BlendMount, a popular mounting bracket that goes around the rear view mirror (intended for a radar detector)
To check out our Exclusive Signature Bundle featuring the Thinkware F770 and Cellink Battery B, click here!