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% 12 Weird &amp Wonderful Gauge Clusters CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home Features 12 Weird &amp Wonderful Gauge Clusters <h1>12 Weird &amp Wonderful Gauge Clusters</h1> Mar. 28, 2019 8:00 PM ET by Ian Wright Car Culture / 80 Comments The most creative ways automakers present information to the driver.
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% 12 Weird & Wonderful Gauge Clusters CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home Features 12 Weird & Wonderful Gauge Clusters

12 Weird & Wonderful Gauge Clusters

Mar. 28, 2019 8:00 PM ET by Ian Wright Car Culture / 80 Comments The most creative ways automakers present information to the driver.
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When an automaker wants to present their car as high-tech, the gauge cluster is invariably given a makeover. For the longest time, analog gauges brought us ubiquity and presented the four basic pieces of information drivers needed - the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and engine temperature. Beyond that would be space for warning lights and visual confirmation of equipment being used.
Zoe Mueller Member
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When an automaker wants to present their car as high-tech, the gauge cluster is invariably given a makeover. For the longest time, analog gauges brought us ubiquity and presented the four basic pieces of information drivers needed - the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and engine temperature. Beyond that would be space for warning lights and visual confirmation of equipment being used.
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As digital technology advances, that&#39;s giving designers a lot of room to play and now there are all kinds of options for presenting the information to the driver. The cluster has become an increasingly integral part of the identity and experience of the car. The lack of digital screens didn&#39;t stop designers getting creative back in the day though, and the newer technology doesn&#39;t automatically mean better clusters if the designers overdo it and overwhelm the driver with poorly presented information.
Ella Rodriguez Member
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As digital technology advances, that's giving designers a lot of room to play and now there are all kinds of options for presenting the information to the driver. The cluster has become an increasingly integral part of the identity and experience of the car. The lack of digital screens didn't stop designers getting creative back in the day though, and the newer technology doesn't automatically mean better clusters if the designers overdo it and overwhelm the driver with poorly presented information.
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James Smith 6 minutes ago
For that reason, the gauge cluster can make or break the experience of driving a car.

McLaren 72...

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For that reason, the gauge cluster can make or break the experience of driving a car. <h2>McLaren 720S</h2> Because supercars tend to be less about luxury than speed, the clusters tend to be on the minimalist side. When it comes to dashboards and gauges on a supercar, the driver only needs the necessary information presented in a non-distracting manner.
Noah Davis Member
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For that reason, the gauge cluster can make or break the experience of driving a car.

McLaren 720S

Because supercars tend to be less about luxury than speed, the clusters tend to be on the minimalist side. When it comes to dashboards and gauges on a supercar, the driver only needs the necessary information presented in a non-distracting manner.
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With the 720S, McLaren provides the driver with a digital screen that can show just about any information the driver might want. However, drop the 720S into race mode and the screen folds down and slides into the dash leaving them just the tachometer reading in the driver&#39;s eye line. McLaren <h2>Lancia Delta Integrale HF</h2> Back in the 1990s, Lancia didn&#39;t take the minimalist approach with its homologation version of the rally car, but one that was appropriate for the time.
Evelyn Zhang Member
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With the 720S, McLaren provides the driver with a digital screen that can show just about any information the driver might want. However, drop the 720S into race mode and the screen folds down and slides into the dash leaving them just the tachometer reading in the driver's eye line. McLaren

Lancia Delta Integrale HF

Back in the 1990s, Lancia didn't take the minimalist approach with its homologation version of the rally car, but one that was appropriate for the time.
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Daniel Kumar 9 minutes ago
The aeronautically inspired gauge cluster kept the driver in touch with the state of the engine, whi...
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Elijah Patel 4 minutes ago
However, despite being an example of aesthetic over function, it is a beautiful cluster that evokes ...
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The aeronautically inspired gauge cluster kept the driver in touch with the state of the engine, which didn&#39;t have all the modern sensors that can trigger the computer to make adjustments or send the car into limp mode when things went horribly wrong under the hood. <h2>Aston Martin DB9</h2> While the DB9&#39;s cluster is a beautifully engineered piece and has a wonderful symmetry on how the tachometer and speedometer are mirrored, it&#39;s not the easiest to glance at and see what&#39;s going on. Both needles on the dials start in a weird position away from bottom dead center and the tachometer moves around anti-clockwise.
Andrew Wilson Member
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The aeronautically inspired gauge cluster kept the driver in touch with the state of the engine, which didn't have all the modern sensors that can trigger the computer to make adjustments or send the car into limp mode when things went horribly wrong under the hood.

Aston Martin DB9

While the DB9's cluster is a beautifully engineered piece and has a wonderful symmetry on how the tachometer and speedometer are mirrored, it's not the easiest to glance at and see what's going on. Both needles on the dials start in a weird position away from bottom dead center and the tachometer moves around anti-clockwise.
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However, despite being an example of aesthetic over function, it is a beautiful cluster that evokes the idea of a high-end watch face. <h2>Nissan 300ZX</h2> LED gauges were still in their infancy in the 1980s, but Nissan managed to intelligently use the technology to show the RPM predominantly in an easy to read fashion for 300ZX owners. Splitting the engine readout and selected gear gauges on each side was a show of restraint and how to use digital gauges properly.
Emma Wilson Admin
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However, despite being an example of aesthetic over function, it is a beautiful cluster that evokes the idea of a high-end watch face.

Nissan 300ZX

LED gauges were still in their infancy in the 1980s, but Nissan managed to intelligently use the technology to show the RPM predominantly in an easy to read fashion for 300ZX owners. Splitting the engine readout and selected gear gauges on each side was a show of restraint and how to use digital gauges properly.
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Ethan Thomas 28 minutes ago

Lexus LFA

The LFA is an excellent example of an automaker using the gauge cluster as an int...
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<h2>Lexus LFA</h2> The LFA is an excellent example of an automaker using the gauge cluster as an integral part of the identity of the car. The cluster mixes modern digital technology with a nod to the old-school by enclosing the digital tachometer in a physical ring. The ring then moves around depending on the driving mode and the information that needs to be displayed in that mode.
Ava White Moderator
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Lexus LFA

The LFA is an excellent example of an automaker using the gauge cluster as an integral part of the identity of the car. The cluster mixes modern digital technology with a nod to the old-school by enclosing the digital tachometer in a physical ring. The ring then moves around depending on the driving mode and the information that needs to be displayed in that mode.
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Noah Davis 5 minutes ago
The moving gauge also features on the new UX, but it's truly at home in the LFA. Lexus

Pag...

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The moving gauge also features on the new UX, but it&#39;s truly at home in the LFA. Lexus <h2>Pagani Huayra</h2> Minimalism isn&#39;t a word that can often be used when it comes to Pagani, and it certainly can&#39;t be used in regards to the Huayra.
Julia Zhang Member
access_time 36 minutes ago
The moving gauge also features on the new UX, but it's truly at home in the LFA. Lexus

Pagani Huayra

Minimalism isn't a word that can often be used when it comes to Pagani, and it certainly can't be used in regards to the Huayra.
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Charlotte Lee 13 minutes ago
In fact, there's so much going on in there it's hard to unpack. It's bold, it's beau...
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Andrew Wilson 19 minutes ago
There is a more traditional mode than the vector graphics, but if you feel the need for speed… Lam...
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In fact, there&#39;s so much going on in there it&#39;s hard to unpack. It&#39;s bold, it&#39;s beautiful, but it&#39;ll give you a headache if you stare at it for too long. <h2>Lamborghini Reventon</h2> The Reventon was directly inspired by the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor tactical stealth fighter, and Lamborghini didn&#39;t hold back for the gauge cluster.
Isaac Schmidt Member
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In fact, there's so much going on in there it's hard to unpack. It's bold, it's beautiful, but it'll give you a headache if you stare at it for too long.

Lamborghini Reventon

The Reventon was directly inspired by the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor tactical stealth fighter, and Lamborghini didn't hold back for the gauge cluster.
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Amelia Singh 10 minutes ago
There is a more traditional mode than the vector graphics, but if you feel the need for speed… Lam...
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Victoria Lopez 7 minutes ago
While those two generations of Civic won't go down in history as the best, the gauge clusters we...
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There is a more traditional mode than the vector graphics, but if you feel the need for speed… Lamborghini <h2>Chevrolet C4 Corvette</h2> In the 1980s, digital dashboards helped cars look futuristic, and the C4 Corvette was among the first to have one as standard equipment. It looks dated now, but the C4&#39;s tachometer is still one of the coolest looking gauges on a car to date. <h2>Ninth Generation Honda Civic</h2> The eighth generation also had the split-level gauge layout, but the ninth refined it by making it look less tacky.
Scarlett Brown Member
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There is a more traditional mode than the vector graphics, but if you feel the need for speed… Lamborghini

Chevrolet C4 Corvette

In the 1980s, digital dashboards helped cars look futuristic, and the C4 Corvette was among the first to have one as standard equipment. It looks dated now, but the C4's tachometer is still one of the coolest looking gauges on a car to date.

Ninth Generation Honda Civic

The eighth generation also had the split-level gauge layout, but the ninth refined it by making it look less tacky.
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Sebastian Silva 17 minutes ago
While those two generations of Civic won't go down in history as the best, the gauge clusters we...
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While those two generations of Civic won&#39;t go down in history as the best, the gauge clusters were both unusual and well thought out. The speedometer and information screen sits on top of the dashboard deep under a hood so the driver doesn&#39;t need to move their eyes much to check their speed.
Charlotte Lee Member
access_time 60 minutes ago
While those two generations of Civic won't go down in history as the best, the gauge clusters were both unusual and well thought out. The speedometer and information screen sits on top of the dashboard deep under a hood so the driver doesn't need to move their eyes much to check their speed.
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Julia Zhang 27 minutes ago
While the speed is displayed in digital digits, the large digital tachometer dial sits in the center...
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While the speed is displayed in digital digits, the large digital tachometer dial sits in the center of the lower gauge cluster spot so you can glance at it through the wheel. <h2>Ferrari GTC4Lusso</h2> Ferrari isn&#39;t known for going crazy with its gauges, but the GTC4Lusso has one very cool and oddball feature. The passenger gets their own little cluster that shows system information as well as the car&#39;s speed, tachometer, or G-force gauge.
Oliver Taylor Member
access_time 52 minutes ago
While the speed is displayed in digital digits, the large digital tachometer dial sits in the center of the lower gauge cluster spot so you can glance at it through the wheel.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Ferrari isn't known for going crazy with its gauges, but the GTC4Lusso has one very cool and oddball feature. The passenger gets their own little cluster that shows system information as well as the car's speed, tachometer, or G-force gauge.
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Daniel Kumar 45 minutes ago
Why? Because showing off is what Ferrari ownership is all about. Lorenzo Marcinno

The Rolls-Ro...

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Why? Because showing off is what Ferrari ownership is all about. Lorenzo Marcinno <h2>The Rolls-Royce Power Reserve Gauge</h2> A while ago, Rolls-Royce decided that a tachometer is an unsophisticated tool associated with sports cars.
Nathan Chen Member
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Why? Because showing off is what Ferrari ownership is all about. Lorenzo Marcinno

The Rolls-Royce Power Reserve Gauge

A while ago, Rolls-Royce decided that a tachometer is an unsophisticated tool associated with sports cars.
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Lucas Martinez 9 minutes ago
The way it altered that information in the name of refinement is to use what the company calls a pow...
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Grace Liu 6 minutes ago
That means the gauge cluster in optioned or top-trim Audis are fully configurable and able to show e...
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The way it altered that information in the name of refinement is to use what the company calls a power reserve gauge to let the driver know how much of the engine&#39;s power is available at any given time. It&#39;s both cool and pompous, which just about sums up Rolls-Royce perfectly. Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce <h2>The Audi Virtual Cockpit</h2> While we are used to a mixture of digital screens and traditional dials, Audi has gone full-bore on replacing everything with an adaptive TFT screen.
Brandon Kumar Member
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The way it altered that information in the name of refinement is to use what the company calls a power reserve gauge to let the driver know how much of the engine's power is available at any given time. It's both cool and pompous, which just about sums up Rolls-Royce perfectly. Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce

The Audi Virtual Cockpit

While we are used to a mixture of digital screens and traditional dials, Audi has gone full-bore on replacing everything with an adaptive TFT screen.
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Henry Schmidt 12 minutes ago
That means the gauge cluster in optioned or top-trim Audis are fully configurable and able to show e...
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Nathan Chen 9 minutes ago
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That means the gauge cluster in optioned or top-trim Audis are fully configurable and able to show everything from system information and settings to music playlists and sat-nav directions using just a drop of the eyes. The question now is: How long before this becomes the standard across all cars?
Jack Thompson Member
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That means the gauge cluster in optioned or top-trim Audis are fully configurable and able to show everything from system information and settings to music playlists and sat-nav directions using just a drop of the eyes. The question now is: How long before this becomes the standard across all cars?
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Emma Wilson 20 minutes ago
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Audi <h4>Join The Discussion</h4> Show Comments (80) <h4>Gallery</h4> 29 Photos Tags: #McLaren News #Aston Martin News #Lexus News #Pagani News #Lamborghini News #Chevrolet News #Honda News #Ferrari News #Rolls-Royce News #Audi News #Car Culture <h4>Related Cars</h4> McLaren 720S Aston Martin DB9 Lexus LFA Pagani Huayra Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible Honda Civic Sedan Ferrari GTC4Lusso Rolls-Royce Phantom Audi RS3 Ian Wright Associate Editor After working his way through several loosely related careers, Ian finally took the hint and became an automotive journalist and photographer. He spent a few years freelancing before joining up with CarBuzz to combine his love of writing, photography, and cars into one neat package. When Ian is not staring down a lens or into a computer screen writing reviews and features, you can find him in Southern California enjoying winding mountain and canyon roads.
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McLaren 720S Aston Martin DB9 Lexus LFA Pagani Huayra Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible Honda Civic Sedan Ferrari GTC4Lusso Rolls-Royce Phantom Audi RS3 Ian Wright Associate Editor After working his way through several loosely related careers, Ian finally took the hint and became an automotive journalist and photographer. He spent a few years freelancing before joining up with CarBuzz to combine his love of writing, photography, and cars into one neat package. When Ian is not staring down a lens or into a computer screen writing reviews and features, you can find him in Southern California enjoying winding mountain and canyon roads.
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Mason Rodriguez 25 minutes ago
If you can’t find him, he’s probably off-roading in the desert. Contact Ian @BothHandDrive @Both...
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If you can’t find him, he’s probably off-roading in the desert. Contact Ian @BothHandDrive @BothHandDrive LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top
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If you can’t find him, he’s probably off-roading in the desert. Contact Ian @BothHandDrive @BothHandDrive LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top
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