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Heads-Up Displays Making A Comeback In Cars

freep.com — First introduced over 20 years ago, heads-up displays simply did not take off. GM and other automakers, like BMW, are pushing HUDs even more. You can get multicolored HUDs right now in 5- and 6-series Beamers. They expect sales to boom to 2 million a year by 2010.

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  • HemlockUltimate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Its strange to me that the sales of HUDs sank, I've always wanted one. I guess I'm just abnormal.
    • Murdats, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10no, your a geek, what geek wouldnt love his own hud for his car
      speaking of which, where are the pics? i want to see these antiquated huds they speak of, and possibly current or concept ones
    • floejoe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Picture:

      http://www.rsportscars.com/foto/04/bmwm605_hud.jpg

      video of interior:

      http://preview.thenewsmarket.com/Previews/GBMW/VideoAssets/ASF/GBMW_4626_41438.WMV

      (can't get WMV to work on my machine so I don't know if it actually shows the HUD in operation).
    • rtkrum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Not strange. I've always wanted one too.
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sorry, HUD not displayed in video.
    • canadianguy33, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When I was a kid my parents owned a Crown Victoria Lincoln Buick (probably a 1990) and it had a HUD for the speedometer. It was pretty cool and now that I look back I wonder why this didn't become a common feature?

      Also, what ever happened to those those nifty cars with the keypads below the door handles on the outside of the car? If I remember correctly, you didn't need a key to drive the car either. I think it was Nissan Maxima (probably 1985-90).
  • Reziarfg, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4Imagine replacing those windshields though.
    • skoles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Imagine replacing those windshields though."

      Can't tell if you're serious or not. But it simply works by a display on top of the dash reflecting onto the windshield. Like putting a map or piece of paper on the dash & looking at its reflection (in reverse).

      My friends 2000 Pontiac GTP has a HUD.
    • jediboytj, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3if its built into the windshield, then im sure it'll be expensive to replace... but i know of some HUD's that are just simply placed on the dash, and then reflect onto the windshield.

      edit: skoles beat me to it
    • thehans, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2 I don't think replacing the windshield would be that big of a deal. As if replacing a windshield is so easy and cheap, when you replace your windshield it still has to be specific to your car. I think that's a poor excuse to not support this kind of technology.
    • xeeton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes, BMW's already have rain sensors which are built into the glass. Installation procedures are also different for BMW. (Slow drying epoxy, etc...) I don't see how this changes much.
    • freakygeeky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I had a HUD in my 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. While it was not part of the windshield itself, the widshield had a special coating that the non-HUD cars did not.
    • rivvercoon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I had to replace the windshield on my '99 Grand Prix with the HUD, and the windshield cost $1300 compared to the regular windshield price of around $500
    • Genma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that's why they never took off, cause it looked cheap like a reflection. all the ones I've seen in GMs pre-2k were kind of crappy like that. marketed as some cool new tech that wasn't really ready. this time around they should be much better looking since we've come a long way in imaging, cheaper parts and better resolution will make it look crispier and more hud like with more info fit in. I want to see how BMW does it, they usually get the styling and looks right the first time around.
    • PhantomZmoove, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have an 88 Grand Prix with a HUD in it, its only one color, but it looks a lot like the fancy new ones I've seen lately. Information displayed on your windshield, pretty simple. I just figured that it didn't appeal to the masses, which is why it didn't take off. Kind of like Futurama, just because everyone didn't like it doesn't mean it isn't good. I love it, use it everyday.
    • jpeckinp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Had 3 Grand Prixs with the HUD and I love it I wish I could find a way to add it to my truck.
      And it isn't a special windshield anymore the early versions in the early 90's were but now it's just the same glass as the other cars.
  • DeadDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that would be expensive, but still very cool
  • h4lofourt33n, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I've always wanted a HUD. Perferably one that told me where all of my enemies were and nearby taco bell's. And for the WoW nerds, perhaps a truesilver mine or too?
  • xeeton, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Beamers are motorcycles, Bimmers are cars.

    - BMW Afficianado
    • igraham09, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4well, most people refer to the cars as Beamers...

      and i've never heard the term "Bimmer"
    • anewname, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Well there's a magazine called Bimmer, so that should be the final word on it methinks.
    • aluminumpork, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2xeeton is right. Bimmer is for the cars and Beamer is for the motorcycles. There's even a t-shirt out there somewhere that goes "It's Bimmer not beamer!". Ohhh wellll.
    • jpeckinp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Easy way to make the difference is Bimmer has to be said in a rich snooty way with the lower jaw kinda protruded and keeping the teeth together.
    • sspooner, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Only in the USA pal. Beamers are cars everywhere else in the world, except here.
      Wonder who's got it wrong ?
    • xeeton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Serbs call them Bembara, Russians call them Boomers, Arab countries call them BM's. It's like saying that we're wrong for calling crisps, chips... or calling football, soccer. I don't think there is a right or wrong. However, we, in the US, correctly can refer to them as Bimmers.
  • docsnavely, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i loved the HUD on my first car! It was a buick and even though the car was a POS, the HUD was so frickin cool. it was stuck in one brightness elvel though so i had to deal with a brightass windshield at night. cool nonetheless though!
  • thehans, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Nice article, but a picture would be nice.
  • hwald, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I have a HUD on a 2006 Corvette. Works great! Easy to see and very helpful. Love it.
    • meski, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yeah I think HUDs are standard on the '06 Vettes. I don't know why the author failed to acknowledge that.
    • twinklyJesus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Because the author is a BMW fanboy. HUD has been available and common place on Corvettes for nearly a decade. One of the single biggest resale items looked for on used Corvettes is the HUD, followed closely by the 6-speed manual transmission. After that comes variations in suspension performance mods.

      This is not news and really could be labeled inaccurate, but, oh well...
  • silentman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I had a HUD on a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville, and in my opinion it was the best feature of the car. It not only displayed speed but stereo information as well, which combined with on-steering-wheel controls meant that i never had to look down. Unfortunately GM is crap, and I had to get rid of it due to serious mechanical problems.
    • xeeton, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Agreed. My stepfather had the same car and got rid of it for the same reason. The HUD was typical GM poor design but it functioned (most of the time.)
  • pron*, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've owned 2 Pontiac Bonnevilles (SSE & SSEi) with HUDs over the last 7 years and am looking a getting a new one soon. They are great with brightness and height adjustment, high beam & turn signal indicators, and low fuel as well. It's gotten so I hate having to drive my fiance's car or anyone elses that doesn't have a HUD.
  • digjedi, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2HUD is not popular cause it's annoying. For those that never used it, place a bunch of stuff on your front dashboard so you see it reflect in the windshield. A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G.
    • twinklyJesus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Obviously not a 'Vette driver....heh heh heh
    • sspooner, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Sheesh, heads up displays, cup holders, glove boxes... what will they think of next ?
      My 911 has none of the above yet kicks 'vettes asses, with embarrassing ease.
      Weighing less than 3000lbs (actually only 200 pounds more than a mini cooper, yet producing 450 rwhp really doesn't give you much time to sip on your latte, or have your attention distracted by a stupid HUD.
    • twinklyJesus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Interesting...just saw a comparo on the Z06, Viper and Porche....Guess what? Z06 by .6 sec over Viper 0-60 and a full second in the quarter mile. Porche DISTANT third. Try picking on a Full size Vette for your comparison, not the straight lo-po version. Take on a Vette that has similar add ons as what comes with yours from the factory.... Try a Z06 with twin turbos...900 rear wheel horses.... Oh and still a third the price of your mini poooper.
  • ascott9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Would a night vision HUD count for what you all are talking about? My parents LX470 has a night vision video camera that projects on the windshield while you are driving so you can see animals and stuff on not so well lit up roads.
    • benliong, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Can you give us some pics of that in action so we have a better idea how it works? I used to sell after-performance parts, and one of the items we sell is a HUD unit that displays speed / tachometer information onto the windshield so you see the reflection. But those have to be rather simple LEDs. Don't think complicated graphics work with reflection all that well.
  • madajczyk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I had a HUD in my '93 Bonneville SSEi and now a 2000 Grand Prix GTP. It always makes me laugh when I read some of the latest news stories regarding HUDs; especially now that they're in the new Beamers and Corvettes... Pontiac has had 'em forever, but since they're not a 'premium' brand, nobody notices.

    By far the best feature of the car. I owned a 2001 Ranger in between the Pontiacs and the thing I missed most was the HUD.
  • NemWS, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I've got a '99 Pontiac Grand Prix GT, with a HUD. I don't ever want to buy another car without it (and steering wheel controls for the radio). There is a small portion of the windshield that contains a polarizing filter, so that it reflects the HUD (in the dash projecting up) but otherwise you see right through it. It does increase the cost of the windshield, but my insurance covers the cost of replacement (minus $100, which most auto-glass places will pay me for).

    You can't understand how cool/awesome it is to have a HUD in your car until you drive with one for awhile. The only time I need to look at my dash is to see how much gas I still have. I basically never have to look at my radio. It's not just cool, but very convenient.
    • oepapel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My HUD on my Grand Prix even tells me when I'm low on gas so there is NEVER a need to look down!
  • m1ss1ontomars, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2didn't there used to be cars that also had digital displays instead of dials? like it would actually say "57" instead of pointing at a nebulous region around the number.

    i saw an ad in NatGeo once--so cool, yet so old.
    • skoles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2http://youtube.com/watch?v=d2CxmeHIQ6U&search=corvette%20commercial
    • igraham09, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1yeah, my friends old-school Caddy has one...

      and my other friends GM Mini-Van has one too...

      [edit] damn skoles... that corvette is fugly. I like the 67-69 Stingrays
    • skoles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'm sorry. I'll design a nicer one next time.

      Oh, and that entire commercial belongs on my 6th grade TrapperKeeper.
    • meski, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Honda S2000 has digital guages for everything.
    • PhantomZmoove, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0A few of my older cars had digital dashes, my 85 Cougar had one. I always wondered why they stopped offering that as an option. I guess they must have failed a lot or something. Never had any trouble from mine. I'm thinking the next step will be instead of digital displays they will just start installing LCD VGA screens in the dash and project graphical representations of operating functions.

      That would be cool.
    • jamesmorad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1haha ..my pos suzuki aeiro had digital tach and speedometer...freakin annoying as hell and looked cheap as hell just like the car.
  • adalgiso, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Is there a way to install and aftermarket HUD in a vehicle? I've always wanted one.
  • tomfoolry, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6HUD + GPS Navigation seems like the ultimate combination.
  • jaknet, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Very in two minds about this..... Yes nice idea to save having to glance down at the dash, but when I'm thrashing round the roads (at legal speeds honest officer) the last thing I need in my view is speed, revs etc in front of me. All I want is the clearest view of the road possible. I can hear the engine and if you need a speedo to tell you if your going too fast for a corner etc then please get off the road.

    Can just imagine it now... sorry officer did not see the biker / car / child etc as my HUD rev counter was in the way at that moment.

    Still just my 2p's worth
  • devilsadvocate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Uh, no, it's actually more like "sorry officerI didn't see the biker / car / child etc as I was looking down at my dashboard". This has been a tried and true technology in aircraft: the invention of the HUD increased combat effectiveness so much as pilots didn't have to look down at their instruments panel and spend that much time not looking ahead of them.
  • Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'll join the chorus. I have a HUD in my 01 Pontiac GTP. I *love* this feature. It's unbelievably useful. It's one of the things I am going to seriously miss when I trade back to a full size truck in a year or two.
  • JamesWilson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I want digg scrolling on my HUD from the RSS feed downloaded via satellite. We have the tech. People make it happen already!

    Also put streaming CNN on there somewhere too.

    And since it is nightvision colors already how about the Paris Hilton video on loop.

    ---TIRES SCREEECH--- *BOOM*
  • tehdave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Im glad to hear HUD's are making a comeback, I never understood why they never stayed around. I mean its not a complicated piece of technology at all. My HUD is one of my favorite things about my 06 Grand Prix GTP. Its my speedometer, compass, thermometer display, track/radio listing. I definately miss it when I have to drive another car.
  • cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8The HUD GM has used is simply a display on the dash that projects to a fresnel-lens looking piece that is on the windshield. Simple...

    The reason HUDs haven't caught on is because they have been digital displays. Driving geeks know that an analog display is superior to that of a digital display, so far as the human mind can interpret input faster that way.

    Think about it, if you need to stay at or about 70mph a look at an analog speedometer tells you immediately you are just a hair above or under 70 mph. A digital display takes the busy multitasking mind longer to interpret. You have to think about how far from 70mph 73 mph is. You find yourself trying too hard to stay within 68-73mph instead of just a tad under 70 or just a tad over 70.

    I know as digital geeks this seems counter intuitive, but its tried and true. Tested even...

    As much as this matters with a speedometer, its MORE important with a tach. With a tach you don't care where the red-line is rpm wise, you just want to know that you are coming close to the red-line and its time to shift. You certainly don't want the ECU to start retarding the ignition because you went too far over the red-line. Not that a modern engine will allow you to harm it, it won't. But once you hit the rev limiter the fun shift-capade from zero to seventy five mph has just come to a gurgling halt.
    • JamesWilson, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1No?
    • PhantomZmoove, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ah, that makes sense. Even though I prefer digital displays, I can understand why they became more rare now.
    • Runesabre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Good insight. The HUD in my Corvette displays an analog version of the tachometer but displays my speed as a number. I find myself still glancing at the speedometer; maybe out of habit or maybe because it's just more intuitive as you say.
  • MioTheGreat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1No no no. We all know that we want the exact same design of HUD from a Puddle Jumper...

    http://caps.stargate-atlantis.org/season2/thelonggoodbye/2x16_0025.jpg
  • andrew522, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2my neighbor has a late '90s corvette, which has a blue HUD on the windshield (an be turned on or off). When she took me in a ride to the local Best Buy to pick up some computer-related items, I noticed it and said it was cool.

    I wanted one and wondered why they weren't in more cars (or at least why I hadn't heard of it before)
  • phad3rs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's hard to believe they don't come standard on every car.
  • Runesabre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The HUD in my 2005 Corvette is fairly useful, especially in connection with my Nav system. During normal driving the HUD just shows my current speed and a cornering G meter. (In track mode it would also have a tachometer).

    However, if I'm using the Nav, it will also show a summary of directions with a "next turn" progress meter. It also briefly shows me what radio station I've tuned to for a few seconds.

    The nice thing is it's all right there at eye level so you don't have to take your eyes from the road. I wouldn't say it's essential but it's handy.
  • Biker803, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have a HUD in my 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. I think a few other people mentioned they had the same car as well on here. I think it's probably the one feature I can't live without. I love not having to look off of the road to look at the dash for how fast I'm going, etc. It displays on the windshield as a number so I know exactly how fast I'm going. It's not in my way, I can adjust the brightness that it shows up (useful because I tend to adjust it between day and night driving). I can even move the projector up and down (within a set area) with a push of a button so it's exactly where I need it on the windshield for my height, etc. It tells me what radio station I'm listening to (only when I actually hit the volume button on my steering wheel controls or change the station, otherwise it shows only the speed I'm driving at) and also lets me know when I'm low on gas. It's not annoying one bit, doesn't disturb my view of the road... and I hope the next car I buy has one too a few years down the road.
  • zdiggler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Old technoloy, I had it on my 2000 Grand Prix GTP.

    With that and streering wheel controls, I could turn off all interior lights at night and drive.

    It was nice never had to look at speedometer, keep your eyes on the road!
  • zdiggler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually that was the only one reason I bought the car. LOL
  • shotgunefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've been working on a HUD for a few months now. Getting the optics correct is certainly problematic. I managed to get the display on the windshield while hiding the image source, and removing ghosting quite easily.

    But for it to be correct, you've got to project the image at infinity which is easier said, than done. Otherwise, you have to refocus the image. The constraints of the existing dashboard don't make things easier.

    Regarding safety, in my researching, I've come across some papers that suggest that HUDs can lead to Attenion Tunneling and cause their own problems.

    No denying the coolness factor though. :)
    • uptpilot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Shotgunefx, would you care to share your design and findings? I made a carputer for my Mazda6 and this is my next project. I found a HUD glass for $9 online. I'm still waiting for it to come in the mail, but this might be a necessary ingredient. Thanks.
    • shotgunefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@uptpilot

      $9 dollars eh? Let me guess, Electronics goldmine?

      There's a large thread (300+ posts) here
    • shotgunefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@uptpilot

      Apparently, you can't use anchor tags here.

      The thread is here.

      http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=73549
  • kTuck, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0HUD's probably haven't been popular for many of the above reasons, but if you ask me it'd really only be very useful on a track day or doing some "spirited" driving on the back-roads. This is problematic because the HUD's of today don't refresh often enough to give an accurate RPM count.

    As for what DevilsAdvocate had to say
    "This has been a tried and true technology in aircraft: the invention of the HUD increased combat effectiveness so much as pilots didn't have to look down at their instruments panel and spend that much time not looking ahead of them."

    This isn't the case in cars, HUD's were handy when fighters were still relying on analog gauges not CRT's.
    There were and still are a lot of gauges, three or four times more so than one would find in the average car, and in a car your not looking at your gauge cluster while pulling a couple G's.

    So in a nutshell car HUD's don't offer the same practicality as those in fighter jet's, it's this lack of practicality that limits their popularity.
  • DesolataX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Where's my Ammo, Health, and Armor!?!?!? What Kind of Hud is that
  • Nerfdude, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1my 1992 nissan 240sx has a simple hud in it. it displays MPH, and that's it. it's pretty useless. but it still makes any passenger of mine go "wow super space age cool" when i turn it on.
  • bubba., on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've had a HUD for 6 years on my Grand Prix. I LOVE it and never had any issues with it, but my wife has to turn it off when she drives my car. It'll be tough moving to a new vehicle without it...
  • colelt1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The HUD in my 2003 vette is very helpful, I use it about 95% of the time (rather than the dash guages).
    It has speed, tach, fuel, oil pressure, voltage, and temp. You can also adjust its location, move it up and down, and adjust its brightness.
    Here is a picture:
    http://www.splak.net/fbody/zo6/Phone056.jpg
    • marck999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I found some cool repair car manuals on a site about real tuning, hot-rod, cars & girls, tuning truck cool stuff :D if you need any car manuals you find at http://realtuning.srv.ro
  • icechips, on 02/04/2008, -0/+0This is a old link, but maybe someone can help me.

    I have a 2001 Grand Prix (and it's a coupe too) and dearly love my HUD. I adore the HUD and my next car WILL have it. No it doesn't distract you, after 7 yrs driving my car, I don't notice it (and it was a mess when I had to drive Dad's Lincoln TC, I couldn't get used to looking at the gauges, just seemed unnatural).

    My baby's getting old and I'll have to replace her one of these days. What I'm looking for is a list of cars with HUDs. I know Pontiac G8's have it, some BMWs and what else?

    Either post here or email me at icechips@hotmail.com

    Thanks a bunch
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