Exterior mirrors will soon be a thing of the past
We have become as accustomed to the two rear-view mirrors on either side of the car as we are to the steering wheel or gearshift. Looking left and right is almost second nature to us.
But soon we will have to relearn, because it is almost as certain as the Amen in the church that the large appendages, which have been growing steadily since the 1960s due to increasing safety requirements, will disappear.
In fact, they are an obstacle in the fight against CO2 emissions because they impair aerodynamics.
According to Brad Duncan from American simulation specialist Exa Corporation, aerodynamic drag could be reduced by up to six percent if the two mirrors were dispensed with. That's quite a lot - after all, the amount of gasoline saved is equivalent to a full tank of fuel for 16,000 km.
And what comes next? Reversing cameras and screens in the cockpit, which can display other useful information as well as the view to the rear. You will get used to it, the VW XL1 already had the new gizmos on board.
At the moment, however, there is still no clear legal situation, as the two mirrors in the correct position and size are still mandatory in most countries. But this won't be the case for much longer and then cars will look like they did 60 years ago, when an exterior rear-view mirror was often not on board at all or only available as a retrofit.
Nevertheless, we will probably miss the sometimes attractively shaped mirrors. A first-generation Testarossa without the high-mounted single mirror on the left would also be much less attractive. But let's see ...
