Not everybody likes the big speedometer, which is so like a giant pie plate that has inexplicably found its way to the dashboard.
Out of step as usual, I really like it. There are graphic devices of all kinds strewn across the dashboard of various cars, but this one charms me because it represents a kind of friendly communication from the machinery.
It’s a retro styling lick completely consistent with the look that designer Frank Stephenson brought us. Of course, I can’t say that I really use it that much, because the little tachometer above the steering column has a digital speed readout that’s more convenient, although the pie plate doesn't force so much of a focus change for your eyes. Nevertheless, I really enjoy the big speedo every time I get in the car. (What can I say? I own one of those wacky Mini wristwatches with a dial that replicates the speedo’s look.)
But I worry about the future of the pie plate, because there will be plenty of electronic devices competing for that real estate in the center of the dash when the next generation of the Mini is finally designed. And almost no one is willing to stand up to the flock of oh-so-critical haters that dismiss this speedo as a worthless self-indulgence.
Actually, I think the whole point of the car can be found in the pie plate. It’s different, but it works. It’s that little bit of extra cleverness that helps clarify the whole Mini concept.
Unfortunately the style police at BMW don’t seem to get this. With the introduction of the second-generation version of the new Mini, they seem to be embarked on a program of visual homogenization for the interior — painting the faux rollcage elements of the doors in dark colors instead of silver and deleting the eccentric ventilation controls, just to name two things. They seem to be guys who want plain, old German knobs, not British-style toggle switches. Probably there are reasons related to cost.
That’s why I think the pie-plate speedometer is important. I want this car to be a Mini, not a VW Golf. To those who prefer boring sameness instead, let me suggest that other choices beckon.
Michael Jordan, Executive Editor, Edmunds.com
questionlp says:
01:45 PM, 08/25/11
Still not a fan of the center speedo idea, be it in a Mini, Toyota Echo or Yaris, etc. Then again, it is better than the information overload that is the concentric cluster---- that is the Fiat 500.
desmolicious says:
02:00 PM, 08/25/11
The Jeep Wrangler - in it's precious versions (CJ5?) used to have the pie plate. I think it would have been great if they brought it back for that truck.
desmolicious says:
02:01 PM, 08/25/11
And yeah, I meant to type 'previous' not 'precious'....
kinda funny really.
blueguydotcom says:
10:49 PM, 08/25/11
Never saw a point in the pie plate with my cooper but never felt it took away from my driving fun either. Like a radio or HVAC controls, it will not have any bearing on my purchase decisions.
minibro77 says:
07:46 AM, 08/26/11
Great little write up Michael. You mention something interesting though. "But I worry about the future of the pie plate, because there will be plenty of electronic devices competing for that real estate in the center of the dash when the next generation of the Mini is finally designed." MINI embraces this design so much that even if you opt for the MINI Connected feature which places an HD screen in the center they still have the speedo with a small runner/needle running on the outside diameter of the center so called "Pie Plate." One thing that will change the guages and how they function is the adoption of electronic screens a la Lexus or now the BMW 7 Series which have graphics that can look like anything they program them to look like. Digital or Analog speedo can be toggled at the touch of a button.