Five automatic gear shifters we love.
From Jaguar to Lamborghini, car manufacturers have these days given automatic gear shifters their distinctive design spin, turning them from bland automotive instruments to miniature works of functional art. These are some of the best interpretations we’ve ever seen
Changing gears manually has always been a joy for petrolheads, but there is a vast majority that prefers automatics for the convenience that comes with one. What do you do with the place that’s conventionally meant for a gear shifter then? Few carmakers have bothered to think about it but there are a few who have, and, in some cases, the results are rather pleasing. We pick five fantastic takes on gear shifters that aren’t shifters, in alphabetical order of course.
1. Audi A8
Sure, an automatic gearbox has to deal with the job of just selecting driving modes and basic automatic duties like park, neutral and drive, but when you are in a flagship Audi, it must also feel like the command centre of a luxurious speedboat. So there you go, the A8 comes with a lever that looks like a marine throttle stick. Neat indeed.
2. Bentley Mulsanne
Whether you are driving a Bentley or being driven in one, the world is at your command. The grip of the shifter has to be solid and chunky then, don’t you think? High quality leather stitched to perfection and a rounded metal top with the Bentley logo to boost your pride seems just about right.
3. Jaguar XJ
The Brits also like it cool and classy, so where Bentley has its lever much in your face figuratively, Jaguar likes to hide its selector flush with the centre console when not in use. Thumb the starter and a textured metal-finished rotary raises itself to life. Very cool, Jaguar, very cool!
4. Lamborghini Huracan
The folks at Sant’Agata Bolognese love their supercars like they love airplanes. The theme inside the Huracan is one of toggles and flip switches, pretty similar to what you’d find inside a top-dog fighter plane. While there are buttons to shift you from park to drive, god forbid you accidentally click one to go to reverse. Can’t make such a mistake, can you? So Lamborghini gave the reverse selector a rather lovely lever that tugs to the back to engage.
5. Volvo XC90
The new XC90 has one of the best luxury SUV cabins on offer around the world. All credit must be given to the interior designers of the luxury SUV for crafting such a heavenly cabin. No detail was overlooked, and that extends even to the shifter. It’s made of crystal and gives the car that extra premium feeling.
Courtesy : Zigwheels