Yes, I want the digital mirrors.

[Habu]

Been to my local-ish Lexus Centre today to look at their Takumi with digital mirrors.  They’re very much a marmite choice especially when you factor in the £1600 cost but I love them.  The two monitors are extremely robustly mounted and don’t move at all but I found their viewing angle perfect for me.  They are super sharp too. The system is far more than a ‘camera on a stick’ and, like the standard mirrors, auto fold, are heated and are photochromic.  The monitors feature quite a number of options and, in auto, has the viewing angle change depending on the type of driving and whether you’re indicating, etc.  The viewing angles, too, are far greater than the standard door mirror plus you have a sort-of night view with them so you can see more things in the dark than you would through the standard mirrors.

We also talked about the changes for the 2021 ES which will be available to order from September 2020.  There are some switchgear changes plus some extra standard tech to the F Sport model but I think the USB ports are still under the lid!😡

Right, onto some pics.

 

 

 

 

[Habu]

Standard mirror vs digital mirror.

[Habu]

Folded view.

[Herbie]

The monitors look like they are just plonked there and bolted on as an afterthought. They look horribly out of place in a nice, refined interior.

The outside arms are still just as susceptible to plenty of damage and the cost of replacements will put up insurance prices for everyone.

First-world problems insofar as technology for the sake of it and solving a problem that isn't really there.

A decent idea that's currently badly implemented, I'd say.

[Habu]

They do look better in the flesh but they’re not for everyone.  I like them, you don’t. You don’t need to buy them but the tech will eventually trickle down to other models in the range.  

[jumbojake]

Agree with Herbie ... they look like a universal  aftermarket kit ..... if they were properly integrated into the dashboard it would look better.

I get the benefits of varying angles, but a mirror is pretty simple ... but the need is small (in my eyes) .... beyond auto dimming at night, I cant recall wanting any improvements to a mirror

it will take a few years before these become a thing... but cars are already becoming more 'self aware' with self driving capabilities... this feels like a bit of tech that is too late

[dutchie01]

a prime example of overcomplication. most likely driven by marketing. By the way for 1600 pounds you can buy a car..

[ColinBarber]

34 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

a prime example of overcomplication. most likely driven by marketing. By the way for 1600 pounds you can buy a car..

just an excuse to bump up the list price of cars and advertised as 'progress'.

IMO the advantages don't outweigh the disadvantages.

Advantages

• eliminate blind spot
• reduce drag
• an amount of customisation

Disadvantages

• loss of depth perception as you are just looking at a 2D image - difficult to judge distance and speed
• focus distance is near, therefore eyes need time to focus from looking out windscreen to the image displayed on the screen
• camera and LCD screen refresh rate lower than human eye - reaction times increased
• screen can be washed out by direct sunlight
• cost of initial purchase
• cost of repair - higher insurance premiums

the first three reasons are why mirrors are used on multi-million pound fighter jets and not cameras/screens.

[Habu]

All valid points but I like the tech.  I buy cars based on the tech.  The last time I was in a Typhoon fast jet (ok, it was the ball sim at the Typhoon Training Facility at RAF Coningsby) I spent more time flying based on the mk1 eyeball and simulated images from the various sensors around the jet.

I can’t see the digital mirrors on the ES being even a small seller but I’m tempted if the price is right as I enjoy tech and my brain is wired to assimilate visual data from multiple sources and that appeals to the geek in me.

 

 

[dutchie01]

Audi also has it, i see it as a marketing gimmick, no more no less. I just dont see the real world advantage, The answer to a question nobody asked.

Bit like an electrical egg cutter, an apple already cut in pieces packed in plastic and on sale in the supermarket, Gesture control on in car infotainment ( a tip, use a button)

Farting exhausts when shifting up in new VAG products, And so on.

The Saturday night question!  What is the option ( or standard) thing  you have in your car that you NEVER use?? For me MOST of the settings i can adjust on the touchscreen, i just get in and drive off.   

[MotorDevil]

Theres something about the shape of the camera that makes it look a bit odd on the outside. They seem too thin for the size of the car, I'm sure you would get used to them very quickly

They are in the new Honda E (where they look a lot better outside and inside with the screen), things like this will become more and more common so we might as well get used to it. 

I hope you buy one with them. 

[Habu]

9 minutes ago, MotorDevil said:

Theres something about the shape of the camera that makes it look a bit odd on the outside. They seem too thin for the size of the car, I'm sure you would get used to them very quickly

They are in the new Honda E (where they look a lot better outside and inside with the screen), things like this will become more and more common so we might as well get used to it. 

I hope you buy one with them. 

You're right, John.  They do look very odd and my wife's first impression was that they look like the mirror housing has been smashed off leaving just the arm but I'm tempted just because they are so techy.  However, I don't think they will sell very well at all for the reasons mentioned above as well as the cost.  I will see what offers are about from September when the 2021 model details will be officially released although the centres do have the details now.  If you ask them nicely they will run through the changes, of which there are several.

[Ian J. Parsley]

The additional point is that even mentioning a relatively new tech gizmo will draw attention to the car and the brand.

They will appeal to people whose personality type is to be first to the new tech - IIRC that's around 5% of the population, which doesn't include me but it's better than nothing.

I'm just glad to have the reverse tilt on my mirrors - I've never actually had that before!

[First_Lexus]

On 8/15/2020 at 8:49 PM, dutchie01 said:

Audi also has it, i see it as a marketing gimmick, no more no less. I just dont see the real world advantage, The answer to a question nobody asked.

Bit like an electrical egg cutter, an apple already cut in pieces packed in plastic and on sale in the supermarket, Gesture control on in car infotainment ( a tip, use a button)

Farting exhausts when shifting up in new VAG products, And so on.

The Saturday night question!  What is the option ( or standard) thing  you have in your car that you NEVER use?? For me MOST of the settings i can adjust on the touchscreen, i just get in and drive off.   

^^ Agree with this. The modern world is full of contradictions. Mind you, twenty years ago I thought automatic lights and wipers were ludicrous, but now I'm not sure I'd want to be without them. With familiarity comes laziness I guess!

For me voice control is the thing I never use. I just press a button...as it's easier to do that once than try to 'ask' the car for something and end up pressing the button anyway after a few failed attempts and much frustration.