Quote:
Originally Posted by ABMW
There's lots of talk about the removal of temp and oil pressure gauges throughout the auto industry.
When was the last time you saw a modern car overheat or a vehicle loose oil pressure? (exclude Fords and GM products)
The human factor and the decluttering of automobiles is being taken into consideration and instrument panels are being simplified across the board.
The exact same thing is taking place within the aviation industry , and gauges that have been standard for 60-years are now being removed or replaced with digital gauges that must be searched for through menus or are no longer present, at all.
IDrive was an attempt at simplifying the driving experience. Obviously it was a failure, and it took many years to get it right. But in it's current state, it's very "close" to where it should be.
We'll slowly start to see the removal of such gauges from all automobiles, as other indicators and instruments are added.
Though, their removal does not at all signify the designers wish for the cars to loose their sporting appeal.
Rather, quite the contrary. It's one less thing the driver must focus on, and it can be argued that drivers can actually drive quicker and safer as a result.
Sure it's nice to see a temp. gauge, for nostalgia,but a warning light will perform the same function, if required.
Trust me, the gauges were not removed at a whim. BMW, along with every other company that builds machines which interface with humans, hires psychologists who work together with engineers to create a safe and modern interface.
I'm sure there is an exact reason as to why the temp. gauge was removed, and my bet is the answer rests somewhere along the lines of what I've written above.
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Interesting set of opins, ABMW; here are mine:
-other than a water pump failure, I agree cars seldom lose oil pressure or overheat,
regardless of brand. Some/many X owners here however, have suffered the oil separator/CV problem, though gauges would not necessarily have helped indicate that imminent fault.
-"decluttering"?!
I guess NAV & NAV-TV, Ipod, laptops in the front seat, I-Drive, et al, are helpful in "decluttering" that pesky informative instrument panel.
-airplanes ain't cars...the several private plans I've been in are flown by very careful, attentive, serious pilots; I know few drivers like that.
-I guess without those extra gauges, eg oil pressure, temp, et al, I can "focus" better on my NAV or TV or cell phone/texting, or...
-I agree BMW did not remove the gauges on a whim; it was to save money and not clutter up Biff&Buffy's driving experience. I seriously doubt any psychologists were consulted.
Not really an issue with me, in terms of disappearing gauges, but it does seem odd and, cheap, imo.
I really like the DIC on my '02 Vette: I can scroll through all data, by touch, and see every "reading" one would care to view, in addition to the best HUD in the industry. My 50Cts.
GL,mD