Lexus' New ES ditches side mirrors for video cameras

Lexus has announced that when the new ES goes on sale in later October it will have a world's first integrated. The side mirrors that all cars use today are replaced on the ES with side stalks with video cameras in them. Those cameras beam images inside the cabin.

Lexus says that this camera system removes bulky mirrors on the side of the car cleaning up the view. The camera system monitors also allow a clearer view of the surrounding area around the car than a normal mirror allows.

Lexus calls the system Digital Side-View Monitors and the images each camera captures are beamed to 5-inch display monitors located inside the cabin. Each of the monitors are at the base of the front pillars. The side cameras are shaped in a way to prevent accumulation of rain and snow from blurring the view.

The digital mirror system is designed to automatically enhance the corresponding area that the driver is viewing be it left, right, or behind the car when the turn signals are activated or when the car is in reverse. View areas around the car can be enhanced manually to give the driver complete peripheral awareness.

The smaller camera stalks reduce wind noise compared to conventional mirrors making for a quieter interior. If you are excited about ordering an ES with this mirror tech, Lexus says that it will only be available in Japan. There is no indication of when or if it will come to the US. The two inside monitors do give the car a cluttered look.

SOURCE: Toyota