Car Mirror Design - EXPLAINED

Let's take a closer look at Car Mirror Design today!

How was the concept updated over the years?
How did manufacturers improve the design?
Which challenges did they face?

Let me know which weird mirror design you saw before!

#cardesign

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Pictures:

[Leka]

I had no idea mirror housings and attachments can be such a big issue into road cars. This was very educational!

[ego]

Showing a B9 Audi, talking about side mirror aero and not mentioning one of the coolest mirror effects of the car.

At highway speed the mirror let's the air flow in a way which makes water travel around the part of your window where you look through to view the side mirror. All without creating much noise.

[hassannaeem]

More videos like this please! I've always been interested in everyday road car aerodynamics, but it's not usually covered by people in this easy to understand way

[ArthurSeijiNishikawa]

This is such an underrated channel. Fantastic videos even on topics that in principle sound unappealing. B Sport and driving 4 answers are two of my favorite channels on motosport and cars in general and, perhaps not by coincidence, both are German!

[DutchDiederik]

It's so fascinating how much engineering has gone into individual car parts over the years. Great channel. I love this kind of stuff.

[viktorhaggstrom]

Very interesting!
I have found on many cars that the non-driver-side mirror is set back a few cm, so the engineers basically have to come up with 2 different mirror-designs!

[kencarlile]

Now I need to go look at all my cars and see how the mirrors are attached...

[The-Wall-Lizard]

Your videos are so information-packed, in such a short format it's incredible! I never knew the little knobs were vortex generators!

[charliemolda]

This is actually super interesting, would have never known any of this, thank you!
Also, is it true that mirrors are also designed to block rain water from splashing from the wheels onto the side window? Apparently the last generation of Mercedes mirrors were designed this way

[GiulianoScocozza]

2:10 This was one of my fav design choices in the A1 (2010), much better looking than its successor in my opinion.

[gafrers]

Wonderfully detailed and interesting.
Would love a comparison of Mirror VS Camera from the aero point. Since most videos focus only on either the marketing side or the legacy side of the comparison.

[popinjayjunior]

The best mirror design ive seen is on the Mk7 golf. The mirror mounting was specifically designed just for it. How it kinks up and away slightly, it looks very elegant.

[slicedbread]

I love this type of topic. Excellent job and you kept it concise. Cameras are not the answer because they don't have as much range of light sensing as a human eye. Perhaps manufacturer can throw more technology over the image that is seen like using lidar or other sensors to overlay onto the image. Excellent topic.

[Greatdome]

Another design issue to consider is the driver view downward between the mirror housing and windshield A-pillar. In some cars, you cannot see thru the gap, which makes things difficult in low speed turns and off-road driving where that view is very important.

[RotchildFrancoisJr]

3:45 I was just about to comment on the little dimples found on E36 BMWs! You can even hear the sound from them at higher speeds. Sounds like white noise or TV static sound.

[medo]

Interesting topic. Could you explain us, how the Volvo EX90 get rid of vortices in their mirrors? Because they have "whole mirror" setup. Is it even possible, to get rid of that? Thanks!

[crcpeart]

Often thought about the split lines and small details like vortex generators, as well as the quite large variation in designs between different marques. For example the Mini just couldn’t do what Tesla have done. Great video and please continue on this theme !!!!

[Pandamasque]

0:26 I think only 3 cars had that. The final Vectra and the mk2 and mk3 Espace.
It's funny how the old and outdated door-mounted design eventually made a comeback as an advanced solution. I guess my favourite oddball design is the Zonda S with mirrors on top of A-pillars sticking up like Shrek ears :D

[Shahrdad]

Actually, at first, the mirrors were much farther ahead, about halfway up on the sides of the hood or bonnet of the car. Those gave the best visibility. Later on, they were moved farther back and put on the doors of the car.

[DKPwers]

Excellent video! This is the stuff I believe Youtube was made for!