New Mercedes S-Class dashboard goes LCD

Now you really won't want to have your on-board computer crash -- AutoSpies caught a glimpse of a new Mercedes S-Class where all the regular analog gauges have been replaced with a configurable LCD dashboard  that can display different gauges, data, or even video. Not sure how much it'll cost as an option, but the dudes over at AutoSpies seem pretty floored by what they saw.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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[Haydn @ Dec 25th 2005 7:17AM]

lol imagine if you bought it and it had a dead pixel

[Jacob @ Dec 25th 2005 7:20AM]

I'd be pissed.

[Adam @ Dec 25th 2005 7:39AM]

I would imagine Mercedes could do something about it;)

[Grim Reaper @ Dec 25th 2005 7:40AM]

OK I know this is a technology site but DAMN you guys are late on other news!! This system was introduced like 3-4 months back at the Frankfurt show and it was a stated feature. Its not an option but is available as standard on all new W221 S Class.

[ajprice @ Dec 25th 2005 8:09AM]

the screen also shows the road ahead with infrared main beam lights, so you can see far far away without dazzling the bejeezuz out of everybody.

[Lee @ Dec 25th 2005 8:33AM]

This is fairly old news. Was shown on Fifth Gear ages ago. The infared was shown to be pretty useless too.

[Chris @ Dec 25th 2005 9:23AM]

I saw this years ago on a Buick Cielo at some car show I went to. I never heard about that car afterwards, but if you do a google search on "Buick Cielo" you'll see what I mean.

[Donnie @ Dec 25th 2005 9:34AM]

Too bad this is the shining point of M-B's vehicles. The "Distronic" system is infamously known to fail, as seen on a downloadable video if one digs well enough.

[Jeff @ Dec 25th 2005 9:38AM]

Have we learned nothing from the 1985 Corvette?

[Straycat @ Dec 25th 2005 9:54AM]

Please, this is not news. The new S-class were introduced to the market a few months ago -- with lcd screen and all.

[Rubberdemon @ Dec 25th 2005 10:03AM]

Shouldn't everyone be opening their stockings and drinking eggnog lattes this morning, not browsing gadget sites? Take a day off, people!



And yes, I realize that by posting this I am also including myself in the above category...

[bodeh6 @ Dec 25th 2005 10:17AM]

How long before somebody finds out a way to hack it so that it can be a display for the Apple mini, DVD player, or other application for the screen? Who needs to see the speed when I could be surfing the net.

[Thermus @ Dec 25th 2005 11:06AM]

I'm really surprised this hasn't been adopted by EVERY car maker. In the quest to make cars cheaper, why doesn't this make it MUCH cheaper to manufacture?



In addition, it might be much easier to make the same car and simply *program* different models. So your EX series Honda gets car navigation and a configurable gauge cluster, your LX gets only certain gauges, and the DX gets fixed gauges and the computer has been set to give the engine slower acceleration. All on the same physical car.



This could actually do away with different tiers of car and allow future upgrades simply by reprogramming the computer by the dealer. It would be a car makers wet dream to do this, and it possible right now.

[Francis @ Dec 25th 2005 11:45AM]

Yes, that would be a great great feature for automakers and car buyers alike.. until of course the system was hacked. then everyone would buy the cheap cars, and hack em into more expensive ones. overnight it goes from an automakers wet dream to their worst nightmare. So unless you could make the system hack-proof (which you cant), they would never do it.



but, now that i just said it was impossible to secure it, i might have lied. There could be one measure dealers could take to discourage it. Impliment a system much like windows that maintains a database of all the cars, their VIN numbers, and what features they have legitimately gotten on their car. Then cross-check against that database EVERY time you bring the car in for service. need an oil change? better have a stock car. sure it doesnt prevent people from buying cheap and hacking up... but it would discourage some.

[Peter @ Dec 25th 2005 1:55PM]

Yeah, I saw this car at the dealership two days ago...it's so awesome!

[Charlie @ Dec 25th 2005 2:08PM]

12. I seriously doubt that car manufacturers would do such a thing. Most cars have different interior options, wheels, and engines depending uppon price range. A simple cluster change does not make the difference. Also, from a marketing standpoint I don't think it would sell that well. When you buy the expensive version, you want to know that you have more than a fancy instrument cluster to justify the increase in price and differentiate your car from the lesser versions. I'm doubting it would work, but I could be horribly wrong.

[Hugo @ Dec 25th 2005 2:39PM]

fyi, the Ferrari Enzo has a TFT for the main instruments too, though it's partially obscured so it doesn't just look like a rectangle in the middle of the binnacle.



Mmmmmm CCFL backlight life.

[LTM @ Dec 25th 2005 3:15PM]

It's the 9.7 MPG on the dashboard that makes me think they might have an efficient instrument readout on the dashboard, but obviously not an efficient engine under the hood!

[Rahul @ Dec 25th 2005 5:36PM]

This looks really sweet. As for the efficiency, if you start up the car and leave it to heat up for five minutes or something, it usually gets that low, only because you're using gasoline but not going anywhere - the efficency-o-meter has been around though, its on the 2005 E-class as well.

[John @ Dec 25th 2005 10:02PM]

I don't know where mercedes does test drives. But BMW does a majority of test runs near the california-nevada border. Citys like Bishop, CA.

Look for cars in all black covers and quiet german dudes.

[Thermus @ Dec 25th 2005 10:42PM]

#14 and #16. Believe it. Look at VWs. You can easily "chip" many of their models to get the same performance as their Audi counterparts. Why do you find this hard to believe? It's happening right now.



I'm just saying this can be extended with the technology in the article. By making the cluster simply a "picture", why not make ALL gauges just a picture. Climate control, navigation, radio, etc. ALL of these things will likely become touch screens. So my thought is that many features that distinguish tiers of the same car model, may indeed be simple software changes.



As I said, these things are happening now. As far as the unhackable comment. Of course, but right now you risk voiding your warranty by "chipping" your VW if the dealer recognizes the "upgrade".

[rass @ Dec 25th 2005 11:14PM]

this was introduced in early 90's , don't you guys know this technology was very old, and technoloogy is shifted from led displays .



k.. this is fine but wel inroduced in all the games already no special for me...

[tommy @ Dec 25th 2005 11:49PM]

LCD's for all surfaces - radio/climate/gauges -- won't be a reality until all are willing to adopt good reflective lcd's like the ones they put on expensive digicams, because anything but those will wash out in sunlight.

[Thermus @ Dec 26th 2005 1:05AM]

It *will* become a reality when it costs less to use in placed of analog or mechanical gauges and controls. Hi-tech doesn't always equal more expensive. Sometimes it equals cheaper to manufacture. Remember, that's ALL car makers care about.



Buy hey, if it can be spun as a new must-have feature, then their marketing and engineering departments will have something to celebrate.

[ChinkBastard @ Dec 26th 2005 12:19PM]

I'm just wondering if Mercedes is planning on including screen savers for the new S-class for those long drives across the country.

[Justin Credible @ Dec 26th 2005 2:59PM]

I can just see buying a DX Honda Accord, pressing a few buttons on the dashboard, and seeing the fugly cloth seats transform into beautiful learther heated seats; and an otherwise solid roof above me miraculously transform into a moon-roof. In addition to these wonderful transformations, my puny 15inch wheels and tires combination 'upgrades' to a magnifico 18inch combo, to accomodate the increased horsepower of the transformed 2.4l 4cyl 160hp to a muscular 3.0L V6 255hp. I think I'll take mine in Black.

[Circlescenter @ Dec 27th 2005 6:32AM]

Ok, I see that now we are getting re-gosh-damn-diculous.



First, there is no need. There is no way to improve upon analog gauges for this purpose. (Ok maybe customization) But I mean people think about it, how would this improve the driving experience beyond what we already have.



Second, Cars are subject to inclimate weather and when you park at the mall and go shopping (a fav pastime of Merc owners I'm sure) and come back on a hot summer's day (or cold winter before Xmas) to find a frozen/cracked/generally nonfunctional LCD display for important stuff like your speed and engine temp you will not be happy.



Third, visibility even if it's great it's not as good as the good ol' black on white treatment in my old Maxima.



Regardless the only reason to have a lcd display for all your readouts is to be like "Pbhhhttt.... :P I have an LCD for gauges Pbbhhhttt......!" Of course that's the same reason most people buy a Merc.



I race with my local SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) and I can only see drawbacks for this, especially for the whole, "That sounds like 6 grand, but is it?" thing, people who race know what I mean.



Anyways it's a bad idea for cars meant to move swiftly, but for a luxo-boat it's still not great.



I pray this doesn't become an industry standard (shudder) because I really hate the look of after-market gauges hanging everywhere (bloody ricers)

[Grizz @ Dec 27th 2005 9:38AM]

Two words... Below Freezing.



How can you possibly see the display on a freezing morning? All the other lcd's in my car are all clear untill they warm up.