The 2017 Cadillac CT6 will sprinkle high-def screen wizardry onto us all—or, well, those who can afford a $70K-plus Caddy—in the form of a combination glass rearview mirror and TFT display.
Similar to Nissan's prototype Smart Rearview Camera mirror we tested on a Rogue earlier this year, the General Motors unit combines a traditional electrochromic mirror with a 1280×240-pixel TFT LCD screen that spans nearly the entire surface. Like backup camera displays we've seen integrated into small portions of the rearview mirrors in some Toyota, GM, and Ford models, the digital function is imperceptible until the driver flips what used to be known as the day/night lever. Then, the view of the rear headrests and your friends making out in the back seat is suddenly changed to an HD video stream. While the screen is of significantly lower resolution than, say, your iPhone 6, it increases the field of view by fourfold, according to GM. Flip the lever again and real life returns.
GM says the display enhances low-light visibility and also corrects for distortion, the latter of which was definitely noticeable with Nissan's mirror. Unlike in the Rogue, the Cadillac's camera is located outside and is supposedly water-resistant. It's worth noting that Audi did a digital-only mirror two years ago, but since federal safety standards dictate automakers install old-fashioned glass, only the Cadillac and Nissan mirrors are headed to production. The same rules apply for the digital side-view mirrors proposed by Tesla and installed on the not-for-U.S. Volkswagen XL1.
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GM hasn't announced a marketing phrase for its video mirror, and since Mercedes has already stuck "Magic" on its own innovations, we'll have to wait to see what the General decides will sound super clever. Our nomination: Super Wizard Future View. Feel free to use that, guys.
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