RadioTime, a developer of technology for finding and listening to radio online, says MINI has integrated the RadioTime web radio service into its MINI Connected option, which offers an USB interface for integration of the iPhone in the car’s audio and infotainment system.

The MINI Connected option makes MINI the first car manufacturer in the world to offer this function in a regular production car, according to RadioTime CEO Bill Moore. The MINI Connected option features a web radio function based on the RadioTime directory that leverages the iPhone’s Internet connection to tune to thousands of AM/FM and Internet-only radio stations worldwide.

Sitting in a MINI networked through MINI Connected, the driver can tune to web radio stations airing anywhere in the world and regardless of his current location, depending on Internet connection and network coverage. The driver chooses his station the usual way through the car’s audio and infotainment system.

Exclusive to MINI, this technology sets the foundation for a deep integration of smartphone functions. MINI Connected purportedly ensures a network with the world of entertainment, communication and online functions.

RadioTime provides a means of finding local, national or global radio programming airing on stations in 140 countries and broadcasting in 55 different languages. For more info on RadioTime and the MINI Connected option, visit: http://inside.radiotime.com/bmw .