WEIRD science employed in an April Fool's spoof has become reality after BMW engineers announced they had produced a 'dirt-proof' windscreen coating. Developed in the aviation industry, the technology to make glass water and dirt-resistant is now available on the BMW 8-series.

The special solution is applied to the screen and prevents drops of water from joining up to form a film. At speeds above 40mph, the drops are simply blown away by the airflow. It also offers reduced wiper wear and less glare when driving at night and lasts around a year before another treatment is required.

The development follows a spoof story a few years ago when BMW announced the invention of a soft windscreen coating which bounced insects off the screen instead of squashing them all over it.