Digital Rear-View Mirror To Debut In R8 e-tron

Audi's new digital rear-view mirror will make its first production appearance in the upcoming R8 e-tron electric sports car, the carmaker has confirmed.

The news follows the technology's successful debut in Audi's R18 Le Mans race car which, like the R8 e-tron, has no rear window and cannot use a traditional rear-view mirror.

Utilising a small camera positioned at the rear top of the coupe, the system transmits the rear view to a 7.7-inch display that sits in the usual position at the top of the front windscreen. 

Audi says that while the camera lens has a diameter of only a few millimetres, its view covers a much larger field-of-vision than a conventional mirror. 

The display uses a Samsung AMOLED screen - common with modern smartphones - featuring organic materials that are self-illuminating at a low voltage, making the display more energy-efficient than a traditional LCD screen.

In the R8 e-tron, the system will offer the ability to adjust the brightness and contrast of the image, or to be deactivated all-together. 

At night, the display will also automatically adjust to prevent dazzle and glare from the headlights of following vehicles.

For now, Audi has yet to reveal plans for a wider production debut - although, with regular rear windows featuring across the bulk of its line-up, there may not be a need. 

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