The recent smattering of large, luxurious four-door cars has abandoned the traditional gauge cluster in favor of a digital representation of a set of analog gauges. This began, as is custom in Cardom, with the Mercedes S-class. BMW's 7-series and Jaguar's new XJ are following suit. I understand the motive: pressure to convey more and increasingly diverse information to the driver in a meaningful and ergonomic fashion. And though I credit these manufacturers for their fairly convincing fake gauges, I'm sad to see the old school technology depart. There is something fantastic about a cleanly machined, artfully simple set of gauges. Like a good timepiece, they convey more than information - they emanate a sense of quality and beauty. So then, this is where technology can let us down; where the endless quest for more and better can take an odd turn and go awry. It's information's efficient delivery and quantity rather than the beauty of its presentation. And the way I see it, it's a tragedy.
Posts
