I went to Brighton on Friday evening and a Lexus passed me on the M4. It was a big 4x4 soft road jobbie, looked like a Merc ML.
It had normal door mirrors and what appeared to be a pair of smaller mirrors mounted further forward on the front wings. They looked like OE not add ons. Anyone know what model this vehicle is and what these "mirrors" are?
|
It was probably a Harrier, now sold in the UK with a 211bhp 3.0 V6 and autobox as the Lexus RX300. Having briefly driven it and the BMW X5 the same day, I reckon the RX is the better car. But Toyota/Lexus won't let me have mone for a more comprehensive appraisal. They won't let me have anything.
HJ
|
|
|
|
I have always thought, maybe incorrectly, that these small mirrors mounted on the front end of the wings were a good indication that the car was a grey import. That seemed to be confirmed by the recent Watchdog prog by Count Quentula. But then one should not believe everything one sees on the goggle box.
|
|
|
Back in the days of my youth door mirrors were an exception and wing mirrors the norm.
They were usually fitted as an after-sales accessory and the hole drilled in the wing was guaranteed to rust after a few years in the UK.
However, compared to door mirrors, they enabled one to maintain a view ahead out of peripheal vision, whereas when looking at door mirrors, particularly on the passenger side, forward vision is lost.
|
best the way it is, then you know any jag with both door and wing mirrors is a special thats been taken off the track at browns lane and made bullet proof etc, normally used to drive idiots like prescott and blair around at way over the speed limit by cops that'll never get done cos i) they are a cop ii) who is in the back seat iii) reg number on the national stop list
if wing mirrors became popular again you'd have to watch for more subtle signs like the wider trim around the glass etc...
dont think that glass will stop an anti-tank rocket...
|
|
|
|
Required in Japan improve chances of seeing cyclists in the door mirror blind spots.
Regards, Adam
|
Many thanks, Adam. I thought I'd read something about these mirrors in one of the motoring papers, but I couldn't remember.
It's a long time since I've had a car with wing mirrors - it's funny how you get used to door mirrors, isn't it? Except for the rear quarter blind spot. Citroen fit a driver's mirror wherein the outermost portion gives a wide angle view of the blind spot. It's better, but not infallible. I guess other manufacturers fit them too?
Ian
|
|
|
|
|
Judging by the way some drivers manouvre these 4x4 things in car parks I think it's time that someone re-invented the 'end of car indicator' Older drivers might remember these. They were long rods with a coloured knob on the top bolted onto the bumper ends. The driver could see the knob and knew how close he was to scraping the next car.
|
|
|
