Every avid car fanatic can name a car that is, to them, a work of fine art. The car’s beauty surpasses that of any other vehicle on the market, and it’s the finest details that set the masterpiece apart from the rest. From the premium stitching on the leather seats to the molded grip of the steering wheel, the little things matter.
One aesthetic aspect of a well-designed car is the gauge cluster. A typical gauge cluster includes a tachometer (RPM), fuel gauge (gallons), speedometer (MPH), and odometer (mileage). Besides the road, the gauge cluster is the most prominent design feature in the driver’s range of vision. Foreign vehicle manufacturers have taken the gauge cluster to the next level with eye-catching and compelling design choices. Expensive and exclusive cars such as these attract buyers with their unique attention to detail. Car artisans the world over leave no stone unturned, and the gauge cluster is no exception!
Best Design: Foreign Fuel Gauges
- For Rick Ross: Bugati Chiron
Does anyone sing the praises of a Bugatti more often than Rick Ross? This beauty’s classy yet captivating digital-analog hybrid dashboard is a work of art that looks more like a timeless timepiece than a mileage monitor. - Back to the Future: Hispano Suiza Carmen
The dials on this electric vehicle’s digital cockpit are an appealing blend of old-fashioned aesthetic with modern convenience. This design choice hints back to the company’s roots as Hispano Suiza was founded in the early 1920’s. - Best of Both Worlds: Bentley Continental
This best-seller is top of the line for a reason! The gauge cluster is a fantastic compromise that appeals to both digital and analog car enthusiasts. In addition to two classic round gauges, this cockpit features a digital screen for GPS and phone calls. - Less but Better: BMW 8 Series
Minimalist design is a growing trend across the world, and the BMW 8 Series lineup is on the cutting edge of bringing understated simplicity to the driver’s seat. The GPS navigation is a fan favorite as it gets you where you want to go without the bright garish primary colors of a traditional in-car GPS.
If having a top of the line gauge cluster is important to you, be prepared to shell out more than a few bucks. The best gauge clusters on the market typically reside in high-end, foreign vehicles. Their niche design appeal is usually impractical for the general public, and many of these collectible vehicles are from a limited production run. It might cost an arm and a leg, but for the flashiest car enthusiasts, the elegant attention to detail is worth every penny.
