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What does this button do?
Cars.com reviewers see a lot of new cars, and for the most part, they all feature the same controls: volume knobs, hood releases and temperature settings are usually universal. But sometimes the writers get in a car and wonder, "What the heck does this do?" Here we chronicle their ongoing quest to decipher dashboard hieroglyphics. Have you ever found mystery controls on a car? Leave your comments below. —David Thomas and Joe Bruzek, Cars.com
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Directly to the right of the Night Vision button is a floating i that identifies the on/off button for the Ghosts head-up display. The head-up display projects speed, navigation directions and other information onto the specially coated windshield where its viewable only from the drivers sight line. The third button from the left turns on the lane departure warning system, which gently vibrates the steering wheel when the Ghost veers out of its lane. The last button is adaptive brake assist. When turned on, visual and audible warnings alert the driver if a car in front of the Ghost abruptly decelerates. Braking power is adjusted during emergency braking, and only after the brakes are applied. And the cost of these features? $9,950, not included in the Ghost's $246,500 base price." width="500" height="270" class="gallery-slideshow-photo"/> |
4 buttons, $10,000
Ultra-luxury cars like the 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost have unique features (does your Toyota Camry have an umbrella dispenser inside the door?) but the cluster of four buttons below the headlight controls may not be so mysterious to owners of the BMW 7 Series, which shares the same platform. The Ghosts half-moon button activates Night Vision. Complete with hidden infrared camera and dashboard display, Rolls-Royce says it can detect pedestrians up to 300 meters away and alert the driver.
Directly to the right of the Night Vision button is a floating i that identifies the on/off button for the Ghosts head-up display. The head-up display projects speed, navigation directions and other information onto the specially coated windshield where its viewable only from the drivers sight line. The third button from the left turns on the lane departure warning system, which gently vibrates the steering wheel when the Ghost veers out of its lane. The last button is adaptive brake assist. When turned on, visual and audible warnings alert the driver if a car in front of the Ghost abruptly decelerates. Braking power is adjusted during emergency braking, and only after the brakes are applied. And the cost of these features? $9,950, not included in the Ghost's $246,500 base price. |
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