- Ford engineers and designers created a
state-of-the-art 10-inch digital instrument display that features
text and race-inspired graphics intended to help reduce driver
distraction
- Digital display automatically
reconfigures itself based on 5 unique drive modes – from Normal to
Track – to ensure the driver is getting the most relevant
information for their situation in an easy-to-read format
- GT’s customizable digital instrument
display technology will be shared with other Ford vehicles
Like the glass cockpit in airplanes and race cars, the all-new
Ford GT features an all-digital instrument display in the car’s
dashboard that quickly and easily presents information to the
driver, based on five special driving modes.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
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Like the glass cockpit in airplanes and
race cars, the all-new Ford GT features an all-digital instrument
display in the car’s dashboard that quickly and easily presents
information to the driver, based on five special driving modes.
(Photo: Business Wire)
To view a video of the Ford GT all-digital instrument display,
click here.
The innovative 10-inch wide digital instrument display is far
advanced from the original Ford GT, when the cockpit was hardwired
with a fixed set of analog gauges, buttons and knobs across the
dashboard that had to address almost every situation.
“Driver focus and attention are key with such high performance,”
said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Performance. “We’ve
designed the GT with a sleek digital instrument display that
changes depending on driving mode in ways that are important and
usable to the driver.”
Ford engineers and designers created the state-of-the-art
10-inch wide digital gauge cluster to be customizable, elegant, and
able to tailor information to each drive mode, to help ensure
customers taking the Ford GT to its limits are provided the data
they need to make critical decisions behind the wheel in the most
efficient possible way.
Defining the visual future of in-car data
The Ford GT program presented a unique opportunity to reimagine
the instrument cluster, further expanding what a connected car can
be and previewing the future of Ford vehicles.
Its layout is designed around which data is most important, when
to present it, and how to show information in a way that’s most
expedient for a driver to process.
The design is executed on a high-resolution display that matches
the sleek, purpose-driven cabin. Data is conveyed in crisp,
high-contrast graphics.
To test the initial design, Le Mans winner Scott Maxwell of
Multimatic® was invited to the Ford GT simulation lab to offer
feedback. Maxwell suggested changing the tachometer to provide an
expanded view of the EcoBoost® V6 redline approach for greater
peripheral visibility. The race car driver also recommended tweaks
to the prioritization of performance information.
Getting every pixel perfect
As advanced design work transitioned to putting prototypes on
the road, Ford Performance reached out to suppliers at the cutting
edge of data display.
Ford designers and engineers worked closely with Pektron (for
electronic design, development, implementation and manufacture) and
Conjure (for graphical design) to create forward-looking renderings
that are painstakingly animated, include highlighted font, color
and responsiveness, and avoid driver distraction and eye
strain.
The five drive modes are easily accessed through steering
wheel-mounted controls, to help keep eyes and attention on the road
and hands on the wheel.
Each mode presents information differently – prioritizing what
is crucial for each environment and tailoring the display to the
given context.
How information is graphically displayed with each drive
mode:
- Normal mode displays information in a
purposeful, businesslike manner. The theme is simple; the
speedometer is centered and bold, gear selection is to the right,
fuel and temperature are top left. The hockey-stick-shaped
tachometer displays in a compressed scale for lower rpm, as the
engine revs so quickly the lower counts mean almost nothing to the
driver. The 3,000-to-7,000-rpm range dominates the top of the
display
- Wet mode carries many of the same
information concepts over from normal mode, using a blue theme and
a “wet floor” concept. Graphics under the speedometer emulate the
shine of wet asphalt to remind the driver of the mode
selection
- Sport mode adjusts information
priorities. Front and center is gear selection, with the
speedometer off to the right and less prominent. It’s displayed in
an aggressive orange theme and is the preferred mode for most test
drivers
- Track mode presents a stark combination
of black background and highly legible text and graphics, in a
crisp, red theme that’s easy for the eye to pick up in a fast-paced
environment. Gear selection and engine speed are displayed
prominently, while coolant temperature, oil pressure, oil
temperature and fuel level – rendered as a percentage rather than
miles to empty – are bottom right
- V-Max offers an entirely different
display – purposeful and pared down. Specifically tailored to
pursuing maximum top speed, it displays a large, centered
speedometer, with tachometer reduced to just a line with indicator
dot for minimal distraction. Coolant temperature, oil pressure, oil
temperature and turbocharger boost are displayed to the right, with
fuel level displayed top left
“We spent an enormous amount of time getting this just right,”
says Nick Terzes, Ford GT engineering supervisor. “The result is
simple, but achieving simple perfectly can be a challenge.”
Joey Hand, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of
Ford GT, raved about the different drive modes recently on a visit
to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “This is exactly what I want to see
when I want to see it,” he said. “You guys did a great job.”
Dashboard of the Future
GT isn’t the only Ford vehicle that will receive full digital
instrument display technology. This innovation is coming to other
future Ford vehicles – another example that Ford continues raising
the performance bar while ultimately improving vehicles for all of
our customers.
For more information, visit www.FordGT.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company
based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 62
plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing,
manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars,
trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its
business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging
opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and
mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor
Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its
products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and
high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.
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Ford Motor CompanyCraig Von
Essen313.248.2335cvonesse@ford.comorDeeptie
Sethi313.378.0554sdeeptie@ford.com
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