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Car mirrors will fade into rear view

From the Toyota NS4 to the supercar Infiniti Emerg-E mirrored glass is being replaced by a camera lens and screen.

Concept cars have been sprouting cameras in place of mirrors at motor shows for the past few years. It’s a logical move for designers, letting them slice off the side and rear-vision mirrors for a more streamlined effect. 

And they don’t seem to be getting tired of it – from the supercar Infiniti Emerg-E at Geneva to the little Toyota NS4 plug-in at Detroit - and even BMW’s Concept E scooter - mirrored glass is being replaced by a camera lens and screen.

But you can expect to see the technology making it into production, Infiniti chief designer Shiro Nakamura Nakamura says. 

"The technology is there already, it's just a case of when and which product," he says. "The (conventional) rear-view mirror is not very functional. At night-time, all you can see in is lights but with a camera you can see the shape of the car." 

Nakamura says the positioning of the camera would probably emulate the placement of the rear-view mirror, making it easier for existing drivers to adapt to the new technology.

Replacing side mirrors would require owners to look at a screen inside the car (beyond visual range, another benefit of removing the side mirrors is cutting aerodynamic drag on the car.

"With side mirrors, I don't know if people - existing drivers - can adjust naturally," he says.