Retro Charm Vs. Digital Vibes
Do you notice the little things, like the curve of a speedometer or the way a gearshift feels in your palm? This one’s for you! We're putting the spotlight on retro and modern cars with the most impressive dashboards. If you like a little eye candy with your engine purr, these dashboards were made to be admired. Let’s start with the coolest classics.
Tokumeigakarinoaoshima on Wikimedia
1. Aston Martin Lagonda
The Aston Martin Lagonda broke every design rule when it introduced a digital dashboard. Instead of needles and dials, you faced red LED readouts and capacitive-touch buttons. Soon, this dashboard made history as the world's first fully electronic instrument panel in a production car.
2. Citroën BX Digit
The BX Digit reimagined the driving experience through a screen. Replacing traditional gauges with digital readouts and switch-style buttons, this French oddity felt more like operating a home computer than a car. What made it so memorable was the daring layout, complete with angular displays that defied symmetry.
Citroën BX 19 Digit: some of the quirks and features by Mr lively (livelygta)
3. Nissan 300ZX (Z31)
Pop-up headlights weren’t the only futuristic thing about the Z31 generation of the Nissan 300ZX. Inside, the digital dashboard lit up with bright, teal-blue vacuum fluorescent displays, placing essential information directly in the driver’s sightline.
1986 Nissan 300ZX Electronic Voice Command by Garage Kept Motors LLC
4. Subaru XT (Alcyone)
The dashboard of Subaru XT drew heavy inspiration from aviation, featuring angular lines and a unique, pod-like instrument layout. Even the steering wheel ditched the circle for a squared-off, pilot-style shape. Besides, digital instruments also delivered data in glowing displays.
The Subaru XT Is Probably the Weirdest Subaru Ever Made by Doug DeMuro
5. Renault 11 TXE Electronic
The Renault 11 TXE Electronic incorporated a voice synthesizer and digital dash setup. Drivers were greeted with orange-lit digital gauges and a robotic voice that issued warnings about everything from low fuel to unbuckled seatbelts. This shaped how drivers interacted with their machines.
6. Toyota Soarer (Z20)
Between 1986 and 1991, the Toyota Soarer Z20 series offered a digital dashboard equipped with features like the Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension (TEMS) and a boost gauge. This combination of technology and performance underscored Toyota's commitment to innovation during this era.
z20 Soarer dash demonstration. Eboost2 by EnFlaMEd
7. Honda Prelude (3rd Gen)
Honda’s third-generation Prelude’s dashboard earned admiration for how seamlessly it blended analog and digital elements. You still had a needle-based tachometer, but it sat beside clean digital displays that felt futuristic without being intrusive.
10 Things I LOVE About My 3rd Gen Honda Prelude. by Ethanol Nguyen
8. Mazda 626 (GD)
Inside the 1987 Mazda 626, technology greeted drivers in the form of bright orange LCD panels that displayed speed, fuel levels, and warning lights. This was a car that put thought into how you would read information at a glance, even under bright sunlight or at night.
9. Buick Riviera
Forget knobs and dials—Buick's Riviera offered a full touchscreen back in 1986. Known as the Graphic Control Center, this dashboard allowed drivers to control climate, audio, trip functions, and even diagnostics through a nine-inch CRT screen.
dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada on Wikimedia
10. Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo
Customization met innovation in the Toronado Trofeo’s cabin, where the digital dashboard could be reconfigured to show different sets of data. It means that you could toggle between displays showing fuel economy or performance metrics.
Now, here are ten modern dashboards that make driving feel like a high-tech thrill ride.
1. Mercedes-Benz EQS
The MBUX Hyperscreen is the most ambitious dashboard Mercedes-Benz has ever built. It stretches across nearly the entire cabin, integrating three displays—one for the driver, one for the center stack, and a dedicated passenger screen.
2. Tesla Model S
Tesla redesigned how you think about car dashboards when it launched the Model S, and its 2021 refresh made it even more streamlined. Nearly every function is accessible through a central 17-inch touchscreen. This setup reduces distractions while offering maximum control.
3. BMW iX
BMW’s iX brought a new level of refinement to dashboard design by introducing a gently curved display. First seen in 2021, the setup merges two screens: a 12.3-inch cluster for the driver and a 14.9-inch infotainment display for the center console.
Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) on Wikimedia
4. Genesis GV70
Ambient lighting dances across the cabin synced with a 27-inch OLED screen that debuted in the 2022 GV70. Rather than relying on sharp lines and tech-heavy motifs, Genesis softened the interface with elliptical shapes and layered materials that give the dashboard an organic flow.
5. Lincoln Nautilus
Introduced for 2024, the Nautilus dashboard spans the entire width with an embedded 48-inch display split into driver and infotainment zones. It’s like a digital terrain that replaces physical clutter. Add Google’s native OS, and your car becomes an extension of your digital life.
6. Porsche Taycan
Porsche’s first electric car, the Taycan, came with a dashboard that blends sports car heritage with next-gen tech. The primary cluster is a curved 16.8-inch display that allows you to choose between several layout styles. Beside it sits a touchscreen for infotainment, and below that, another dedicated to climate control.
L.C. Nøttaasen from Sandnes, Norway on Wikimedia
7. Polestar 2
Polestar 2’s 11-inch vertical screen uses Google’s Android Automotive OS as its foundation. This native integration means the dashboard is as responsive and intuitive as a smartphone, with built-in Google Maps and access to a growing list of compatible apps.
8. Ford Mustang Mach-E
Ford’s Mach-E brings muscle car tradition into the EV era with a 15.5-inch vertical touchscreen that defines the cabin’s center stack. The display integrates a physical volume knob within the screen itself, blending tactile feedback with a digital interface.
9. Xiaomi SU7
Xiaomi’s SU7 electric sedan flips expectations with a rotating 7.1-inch digital instrument cluster that disappears when not in use. Combined with a 56-inch AR HUD projected onto the windshield, the dashboard becomes a dual-layer system.
10. HiPhi X
This one features three front-facing displays: one for the driver, a central infotainment screen, and a unique entertainment screen for the front passenger. Introduced in 2021, this configuration allows passengers to stream media or adjust settings independently.
