Geoffrey Pellows: Audi Planning to Eliminate Rearview Mirrors in Le Mans Cars

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Audi Planning to Eliminate Rearview Mirrors in Le Mans Cars

One feature that automakers have teased us with and even installed on concept cars is an LED screen and camera in the place of the old-style rearview mirror. With all of the cameras placed all around cars these days, like Subaru?s EyeSight system and the various backup cameras, we are surprised this hasn?t become a reality. The assumed reasons for rearview screens not taking the place of rearview mirrors are NHTSA and DOT regulations.

Honestly, we don?t see why the NHTSA and DOT would think a hunk of glass glued to the windshield is safer than a crisp LED image from an HD camera. Then again those two government offices ? as with all government offices ? make strange regulations. Apparently an LED screen and camera are plenty for Audi?s future Le Mans cars, as the automaker has just announced, via a press release, that its closed LMP prototype will run with an AMOLED screen in place of the mirror and a rear-mounted camera feeding the images to the screen.

The main reasoning behind this is that the LMP prototype?s cabin is fully closed, with exception of the front windshield, so a rearview mirror would display nothing but the rear wall of the cabin. So, if this technology is good enough for racecars, why are we not seeing it installed in street cars yet? Well, we just very well might, as you likely do not remember, but the rearview mirror was not used on motor cars until Ray Harroun?s Marmon ?Wasp? used one in the first Indianapolis 500, in 1911. It later became standard per NHTSA regulations for all cars to come with this item, thanks to its overwhelming success in racing.

Odds are that if this system is successful in racing that the NHTSA will adopt it, especially given the fact that rearview cameras are soon to become mandatory on all vehicle.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Audi Planning to Eliminate Rearview Mirrors in Le Mans Cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 04:00 EST.