What's with digital speedos making a comeback?

[the_edge]

Carmakers used to push them in the 80s, and nobody liked them since they looked like shit:

http://www.murrayco.com/Car_Collection/ ... 89_lg4.jpg

http://img.justparts.com/eImage/460b045 ... fd3029.JPG

Eventually, carmakers got the hint, nobody likes that. For example, Caddy went from this:

http://s1125.photobucket.com/user/syclo ... h.jpg.html

to this:

http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Cadill ... 1-1024.jpg

Now... everyone, even luxury automakers are going back to digital dashboards. Really?

Compare this:

http://mbworld.org/forums/attachments/c ... 0_6371.jpg

to this:

http://mail2web.com/blog/wp-content/upl ... /10024.jpg

I bet it is cheaper

[thewalrus]

My old Civic and CRZ had digital speedos. It kind of worked on the CRZ because that car was pretty high tech all around. Seemed sort of right. I never really liked it on the Civic, though.

All things considered I'd much rather have analog, all things considered. Of course, in the MGB it's not really a speedometer. More like a speed-estimator.

[the_edge]

Yeah, some cars like the CRZ can somehow pull it off.

So are digital speedos cheaper to produce? I can't fathom why even the likes of Benz would go back to them...

[Talon]

I’ve never been a fan of digital gauges either. I think they might just be “in” at this point. But I also think that a lot of cars are going to just have touch-screen LCDs on the dash and the driver can configure it anyway he or she wants. Look at the C7 Corvette… the tach/speedo layout changes depending on the mode it’s in. Or look at the Aventador… no room for the speed because of a huge tach! So the speedo is digital at the very bottom.

That said, I’ve always liked analog better. Same with watches. It just looks cleaner. And there’s something about watching a needle going flying, whether it’s the speedo and/or the tach, that just kind of adds to the sense of acceleration.

[the_edge]

I agree.

I think this is all about cost savings. Have you heard of the new Audi TT? It doesn't even have a central screen, now the only screen is the one in front of the driver, where the speedo/tach used to be. Do you want to change the radio station or volume? Only the driver can do it, never mind the fact that passengers do it very often too. :/

[thewalrus]

[tut]

i sort of think it's easier to get more information in front of your nose with a digital speedo than with an analogue one. and the analogue is secretly digital anyway....

and digidash would probably be easier to convert from miles to kph?

what i do strangely like is my scangauge, a little module that reads a lot of information from the OBD and displays it, so i know the exact amount of rpm, ie 2378rpm.. bit it's not the same as seeing a needle flying around..

i don't mind digi-dashes.. feels retro


also, how cool's this?
http://www.doubleyoudigital.nl/imgsold/ ... lmonza.jpg

[the_edge]

[the_edge]

[JaysonAych]

[Turbojett]

[thewalrus]

[Turbojett]

It's not; sort of reminds me of a tallish Supra. Maybe a mix of Mk I and Mk II.

[thewalrus]

[Turbojett]

[thewalrus]

[ryguy79]

[1300zuk]

My fiat has both analog and digital.

Comes in handy when one of them breaks (it's actually happened before)

[Turbojett]

[JaysonAych]