Even after a year, I still can't get used to the inverted gauge cluster. WHY?

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dx11

I'm not looking into replacing anything, I was just wondering if BMW did this for a good reason..

Germany is a left-hand drive country, so BMWs are oriented for left-hand driving. If one looks at the center of the road through the windshield from the left-hand driver's position, the tachometer is closer to their field of view. Before rev limiters, one could easily over-rev the engine. The tachometer being in the driver's field of view as he looks in the center of the road has an easier view of the tach needle sweep in his peripheral vision. Drive an E30 and you'll understand.

Same for the coolant temperature gage...

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 09:08 AM

Next up...

Why does BMW use orange gauge lighting?

LOL

BSM n54iS · 09-05-2021, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dx11

I agree I love that the car is so silent (got the N53).
I'll just blame my gf for distracting me.

Seriously!! They know we can't keep 2 thoughts in ours heads at the same time, I blame my gf for things like that too. Whenever she starts getting frisky and distracting me I accidently end up sodomizing myself instead of putting 1 or 2 in her. SO annoying.

BSM n54iS · 09-05-2021, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Next up...

Why does BMW use orange gage lighting?

LOL

Nah.. op will be asking how come we don't have stealth mode on our gauges likes jet fighter cockpits do, and SAAB's..

RayLivingston · 09-05-2021, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Germany is a left-hand drive country, so BMWs are oriented for left-hand driving.

Yet VWs and Audis have the tach on the left, while BMWs, Porsches, and Mercedes have the tach on the right.

IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A RANDOM CHOICE, MADE BY EACH MANUFACTURER! It is far more a matter or style than function. No matter how many examples anyone provides of one configuration, I can provide just as many of the other. There is no "BEST".

God help the OP if he ever has to drive a '60s BMW, with the turn signals on stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column! He'll NEVER be able to adapt!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

This thread is just stupid.

THIS says it best!

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayLivingston

Yet VWs and Audis have the tach on the left, while BMWs, Porsches, and Mercedes have the tach on the right.

IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A RANDOM CHOICE, MADE BY EACH MANUFACTURER! It is far more a matter or style than function. No matter how many examples anyone provides of one configuration, I can provide just as many of the other. There is no "BEST".

God help the OP if he ever has to drive a '60s BMW, with the turn signals on stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column! He'll NEVER be able to adapt!

THIS says it best!

Actually, I probably pulled what I wrote, which seems like BS, from memory of a long-ago (pre-internet) Car and Driver article about BMW gauges circa mid 1980's. Probably the same article that talked about red/orange lighting causing less eye strain due to less impact on the retina receiving rods... blah, blah, blah...

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BdSM n54iS

Nah.. op will be asking how come we don't have stealth mode on our gauges likes jet fighter cockpits do, and SAAB's..

I loved that feature of the OG SAAB's. I wanted to buy a SAAB 900 mostly for that feature, but FWD cars just don't excite me all that much. And SAABs were too pricy for me back in the day when buying a house was the more important fiscal outlay as a fresh-out.

Dx11 · 09-05-2021, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BdSM n54iS

Nah.. op will be asking how come we don't have stealth mode on our gauges likes jet fighter cockpits do, and SAAB's..

I've actually owned 3 Saabs before I switched to BMW and that was my favorite feature.

BSM n54iS · 09-05-2021, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I loved that feature of the OG SAAB's. I wanted to buy a SAAB 900 mostly for that feature, but FWD cars just don't excite me all that much. And SAABs were too pricy for me back in the day when buying a house was the more important fiscal outlay as a fresh-out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dx11

I've actually owned 3 Saabs before I switched to BMW and that was my favorite feature.

In this crazy world where left tach'd people and right tach'd people can come together, anything is possible.

BSM n54iS · 09-05-2021, 11:33 AM

This thread has me cracking up I swear..

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BdSM n54iS

In this crazy world where left tach'd people and right tach'd people can come together, anything is possible.

I'm definitely a right-hand tach'er. No ifs ands or buts.

alpinec1984 · 09-05-2021, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Germany is a left-hand drive country, so BMWs are oriented for left-hand driving. If one looks at the center of the road through the windshield from the left-hand driver's position, the tachometer is closer to their field of view. Before rev limiters, one could easily over-rev the engine. The tachometer being in the driver's field of view as he looks in the center of the road has an easier view of the tach needle sweep in his peripheral vision. Drive an E30 and you'll understand.

Same for the coolant temperature gage...

Yep the e30 useless mpg needle which swings like a metronome is always in your field of vision. The M3 cluster with useful oil gage in same place is easily one of the best e30 mods.

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinec1984

Yep the e30 useless mpg needle which swings like a metronome is always in your field of vision. The M3 cluster with useful oil gage in same place is easily one of the best e30 mods.

I kind of like the MPG gauge. After 30 years of 3-series driving, its like my Linus blanket...

Dx11 · 09-05-2021, 12:28 PM

MPG gauge? I don't have that? Can only see that in the digital readout? Where would that gauge be on the e9x?

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dx11

MPG gauge? I don't have that? Can only see that in the digital readout? Where would that gauge be on the e9x?

Look to the right ---->

Dx11 · 09-05-2021, 12:57 PM

Oh I don't have that. I have an oil temp gauge there. Ah well, I know the mgp isn't good anyway so I guess I don't need to see it at all times.

gbalthrop · 09-05-2021, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dx11

... I'll just blame my gf for distracting me.

Sounds like the Cheap, "Manly" SOLUTION.

Dx11 · 09-05-2021, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Sounds like the Cheap, "Manly" SOLUTION.

Sure is!

Honestly though, when I'm alone in the car, I never sit still long enough for the engine to go down to 600rpm idle so I don't make this mistake. So her talking kinda is the problem here.

Still love her to bits though!

Fritzer · 09-05-2021, 03:55 PM

I've driven/been behind the wheel of a ton of cars in my day, but I've only ever lived with BMWs. Learned to drive on them, when I bought my first car when I turned 21 it was a BMW. So I've never really noticed this much. Only time the differences are really apparent to me is when I would get in my girlfriend's '07 Civic. Those mid -00s Civics have weird speedo/tach setups.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayLivingston

Porsche has tach on the right, as does Lamborghini, Jaguar, and MANY others.

Really? All the Porsches that I've driven have the tach smack in the middle of the gauge cluster.

Fritzer · 09-05-2021, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Dude! My car redlines at 7,000 MPH!

No, the tachometer measures horsepower. So when you are at 7,000 on that guage - your car is producing 7,000 horsepower, that's why cars that go faster have higher numbers on that guage.

Edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Probably the same article that talked about red/orange lighting causing less eye strain due to less impact on the retina receiving rods... blah, blah, blah...

Hold up - every unit or PPV package vehicle for Law Enforcement comes equipped with a red dome light, so your eyes don't have to adjust so much to the exterior darkness at night. It's a very real thing, I'm pretty sure most commercial aircraft come with these lights equipped as well for night flying.

Efthreeoh · 09-05-2021, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fritzer

No, the tachometer measures horsepower. So when you are at 7,000 on that guage - your car is producing 7,000 horsepower, that's why cars that go faster have higher numbers on that guage.

Edit:

Hold up - every unit or PPV package vehicle for Law Enforcement comes equipped with a red dome light, so your eyes don't have to adjust so much to the exterior darkness at night. It's a very real thing, I'm pretty sure most commercial aircraft come with these lights equipped as well for night flying.

No, no, no. The "blah, blah, blah" was just indicating that any long-time BMW enthusiast such as yourself and me already know the benefits of BMW's orange cluster lighting scheme. I'm all on board with it and really it is one of the top reasons I like BMW's. Other than the I6 of course

BMWs are great because you can turn the gauges down to very dim. Out in the woods where I live, it's critical for nigh time driving (and I've still taken out 5 deer...)

Fritzer · 09-05-2021, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

No, no, no. The "blah, blah, blah" was just indicating that any long-time BMW enthusiast such as yourself and me already know the benefits of BMW's orange cluster lighting scheme. I'm all on board with it and really it is one of the top reasons I like BMW's. Other than the I6 of course

Oh okay lmfao. Sorry, had a late start today just finishing my coffee as we speak, thought you were saying that the red light thing was bogus.

09-05-2021, 09:08 AM	#24
Efthreeoh General 17300 Rep 18,726 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Next up... Why does BMW use orange gauge lighting? LOL __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission." Last edited by Efthreeoh; 09-05-2021 at 12:27 PM..
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09-05-2021, 11:33 AM	#32
BSM n54iS Brigadier General 2685 Rep 4,202 Posts Drives: '11 335is \| '16 Macan Turbo Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Everywhere and Nowhere iTrader: (7)	This thread has me cracking up I swear.. __________________ '11 335is BSM MT "BMW Performance Editon" \| '16 Porsche Macan Turbo GruppeM CF Intake \| AR Resonated DP \| ER CP \| Turbosmart RacePort BOV \| Cobb FMIC \| RB Inlets \| RB External Mishi/Turner OCC \| Michelin PS4 \| BMW Performance Springs/Bilstein B8 + Dinan & M3 bits \| BMW Brembo BBK \| BMW Performance CF Spoiler \| BMW Performance CF Lip \| BMW Performance Alcantara \| PS Designs GTS Armrest \| AG H6-40 \| Rear Seat Delete
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09-05-2021, 12:28 PM	#36
Dx11 Lieutenant 222 Rep 488 Posts Drives: E93 Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Netherlands iTrader: (0)	MPG gauge? I don't have that? Can only see that in the digital readout? Where would that gauge be on the e9x?
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09-05-2021, 12:57 PM	#38
Dx11 Lieutenant 222 Rep 488 Posts Drives: E93 Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Netherlands iTrader: (0)	Oh I don't have that. I have an oil temp gauge there. Ah well, I know the mgp isn't good anyway so I guess I don't need to see it at all times.
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