First seen on American racetracks at the turn of the 20th century, the traditional rearview mirror has been a mainstay in car design for the best part of 100 years. But more than a century after its introduction, little has changed. Until now. The rise of digital rearview mirrors has enabled car designers to upend a century of automotive history. And being the innovative design brand that we are, we’ve pushed the envelope even further. Don’t believe us? See for yourself.

It's been a long time since Ray Harroun first introduced the rearview mirror to the world. At the inaugural Indianapolis 500 race in 1911, Ray's unconventional design allowed him to see what was happening on the track without the need for a riding mechanic (the norm at the time). The ability to race without the additional weight of a passenger proved invaluable, and Ray went on to win the race. At the time, his custom-built yellow Marmon “wasp” was a triumph of design and technological innovation. But that was then.

When Polestar 4 was first unveiled at the 2023 Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, one feature in particular stood out. An innovative design featuring a rear-facing camera and a pixel-perfect HD display resulted in one of the most significant changes in automotive design in recent years: the rear window was no more. Gone. Done. Finito.

The feature was an instant hit, capturing the imagination of the world’s leading press and launching a thousand column inches (“Polestar makes the rear window obsolete with its new crossover combo”, “The Polestar 4 replaces a rear window with a hi-def screen”, and “Why electric cars of the future will have no rear window”).

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