AUTOSPIES EXCLUSIVE: The dashboard that obsoletes all others?

To say the new Mercedes S-Class dashboard is impressive is probably the understatement of the year.

Basically, it's a laptop screen embedded in the dash that displays all your data virtually.

What's cool is it mimics analog gauges like the original Carrera GT concept was sporting when we all first saw it for the first time.



But the real mind blower, is when the night vision activates and everyting in front of you disappears and you see a video screen displaying what's in front of you.



When the salesman activated it, I swear I thought I was going to have to change my pants...WOW! You will absolutely lose it when you see this for the first time.

It's worth taking a trip to the dealer just to see that.

It's like taking a journey into the future on some star trek like space ship!

If you order the new S, you MUST order it with this option.

The bad news comes when you go back to your own car, look at your dash and turn your watch back twenty years!

dotuno - 12/29/2005 10:53:29 PM

+1 Boost

What happens if the software fails, as some have rightly asked? Do we not go back to careful manual view? But more importantly, will it be practical to have to look away from the road at a screen to see what's ahead? I think careful driving with good headlamps should suffice, at least until technology can use the windshiled itself as a widescreen and beam the view ahead right onto it.

Claudio - 1/29/2007 2:04:18 PM

+1 Boost

dotuno, you got it wrong. If they used the windshield as a display for infrared view, you would certainly have fatigued eyes after 5 min (max) of continous watch. It's obvious! I think Mercedes found the right position, behind the steerig wheel, NOT a central dash display- your attention and eye movement are minimal in critical moments (when you are blinded by another car, for example). They didn't intend it to be used exclusivley as a night-driving guide, only in special situations, for a quick glance. To lighten up your path- Mercedes offers the Intelligent Light System, i think it's enough.
This is great technology used well.