BMW 3-series brakes in Popular Science Top 100 of 2005

Subaru had this years back "Hill Holder Clutch". I would hope BMW has tied it into the clutch, otherwise, if your engine dies, you'd not be able to move back into a parking spot or back into your driveway, if the driveway is downhill....

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Yes, the newer BMWs have this (automatics and manuals). It only does this for a few seconds, then releases, so you can still roll back.

Why would you want or need this on an automatic? The engine idling already holds the car from rolling back on most hills and, well, you do have a spare foot down there doing nothing...

Not necessarily. On my (other famous German brand) car, model 2001, the car rolls back on a hill despite the auto gearbox. Was very disconcerting at first since my old 1993 model (from same famous brand) does not do this.

I am told this rollback is quite common now (and is not a fault).

DAS

the anti rollback feature does work for manual and auto trans.

and it only uses the brake pad not clutch, the point is to save the stress on the clutch not ad to it.

In my 6-speed it only works if the clutch pedal is pressed down. So rolling back can be easily done by letting off the brake while out of gear - just don't push the clutch pedal.

The Hill Holder has been around for over 50 years, Studebaker had it starting back in the early 50's.

I drive a manual E46 and I can hill-start so I don't care!

But I would say it would work on slopes which are even too steep for the engine to hold on idle. Maybe.