I think at this point, it’s pretty well established that we, as a species, are just about done with having all of our car’s controls accessible via menus and icons on a touchscreen. Opening glove boxes? No one wants that on a touchscreen. Vent adjusting controls? Just keep them physical. I feel like automakers have tried this, pushed it pretty hard, and the public has spoken, saying knock it off, already. I suppose that’s why I find this touchscreen-based control on the recent Maserati GranCabrio to be so very confusing and disappointing, and so I’m going to kvetch about it to you, because that’ll solve everything.
The controls I’m talking about are the ones to open and close the convertible top, and not only did Maserati decide to put these controls on a touch screen, they also decided to use a type of gestural control that requires even more unnecessary focus and attention, and I think they’re even deluding themselves about how it all works.
Not having spent much time in Maseratis lately, I only just found out about these controls thanks to our pal Doug’s video, which I’ve cued up to the appropriate spot. You’re welcome:
See what’s going on there? Perhaps taking a cue from hookup apps, Maserati has decided that to open and close the convertible top on the GranCabrio you need to touch an icon on a bar at the side of the touchscreen window, which then brings up a profile view of the car you’re currently sitting in, and from there you swipe left or right to get the roof to go up or down.
Here’s another video of it in action:
I don’t understand why anyone thought this was an improvement over something like the usual rocker-type switch that most other modern convertibles use, like, say, this Jaguar F-Type:
This touchscreen-based finger-swipe method requires an extra step (clicking the cabrio button to bring up the image of the car), and requires a lot more visual focus and attention to use than just feeling around with your hand for a little rocker switch like that one above and pulling or pushing it. The Jaguar method there doesn’t take any visual attention, really and does the job just fine. So what’s the advantage of doing this all on a touchscreen?
Maserati seems a little delusional about this method, too. Look what they say in their press release about the car:
“No need to take your eyes off the road?” I’m calling bullwastes on that one. There’s no way you’re finding that on-screen button by feel because it literally has no feel, and once you get to the picture of the car, you’ll need to use your eyes to see where to swipe. And it takes 14 seconds? Remember, you have to be holding your finger on that screen the whole time, so maybe you’ll be able to not move your finger even a tiny bit at speeds of 30 mph while driving and somehow not looking at that screen, but I’m pretty skeptical.
I’m in good company, too, because Maserati’s own owner’s manual for the GranCabrio says don’t do this while driving, dummy:
The manual says to only do it when stationary, right there in big red letters. But you know how you probably could do this procedure pretty safely at 30 mph or so? If the control was a damn little switch you could just feel with your finger that didn’t rely you to look at anything at all while it’s in use.
So, what did Maserati accomplish with this control? Requiring you to focus your visual attention on a screen to swipe your finger across a picture of the car you’re driving just so it can feel like swiping on a hot person you want to bone, or something like that?
This is stupid. Maserati should feel a little stupid as a result, and consider changing this dumbassery to a nice little tactile switch that you don’t even need to look at.
Enough already with this crap.
I will never understand why power tops are not one touch. Why the hell do you make people swipe and then hold for 14 seconds?! No one is going to want it to stop halfway down, and when it’s all electronic, there’s no reason you can’t just press the button and have it do its thing. This issues is definitely even worse on a screen, but all power convertibles like this make me rage.
Can I just say that there are the occasional times when I need to clean the car that it’s good to have the roof stop halfway? But there are ways to do that just as one can have one-touch power windows stop halfway.
That’s fair, but like you said, a very easy solution to that. I still say it’s all or nothing. Having said that, out of the 6 convertibles I’ve had (including a T-Top in there), only one had a functional power top so I am just used to manual tops so I really have no dog in this fight. It’s still stupid though.
I can still do that with my BMW. It’s one touch, or hold the button down and you can stop it wherever you want when you release it. The windows work the same way.
I think the underlying idea is that if you’re going to open or close the top, it needs to be a very intentional choice because of the large motion of the mechnics. For example you don’t want to do it while moving, you don’t want anything to impede the movement of the top, you don’t want a kid or animal or anyone getting caught in it, you don’t want your dog jumping out, etc. I agree that the Maserati method here is crap. Personally I would have a mechanical button located in the glove box and have a small cover over the switch, or something similar.
But we’ve got this new touch screen thing to use and it’s just like a smartphone and Tesla is doing it so it must be good. Engineering and accounting says we can save money on parts and production cost.
See honestly, I wouldn’t really care as much if it was in the screen if it was a one touch and done. But putting it into the stupid screen AND making you hold it for 14 seconds (and that’s just to go down, it’s probably longer coming up) is where it’s too much for me.
“I think at this point, it’s pretty well established that we, as a species, are just about done with having all of our car’s controls accessible via menus and icons on a touchscreen”
See… what makes me angry and upset here, is that… that point existed the entire time. NOBODY WANTED THIS, EVER.
Touch screens were pushed on us by corporate, because they don’t know what the hell people actually want, and instead just want GEE GOSH WOW responses from people at autoshows.
Tesla’s approach of putting everything on the screen to avoid spending money on buttons was a reaction to the 8 trillion buttons of modern Benz/Bmw/Audi, and I think that criticism was kind of valid. We don’t need physical buttons for rarely accessed features; but for common things, YES, WE DO.
And HVAC controls were completely perfect when it had the 3 knobs of fan speed, temp, and airflow. Yet corporate continues to fuck with that formula, and make things more complex for…. what reason exactly?
Oh, right, there isn’t any, because corporations are run by braindead profit zombies.
“Touch screens were pushed on us by corporate, because they don’t know what the hell people actually want, and instead just want GEE GOSH WOW responses from people at autoshows.”
No, they were pushed on us because touchscreens are cheap to make and don’t require supplier arrangements and expense for 15 different switches.
I mean in some ways, yes, but there is no way the electrically operated glovebox in the model 3 is cheaper than a simple latch.
When my Jaguar XK8’s top-system runs low on hydraulic fluid it causes me to make all kinds of hand gestures while it’s reluctantly trying to finish it’s operation. Maybe this is just Maser’s way of prepping its customer-base for the inevitable.
I’m reminded of some of the hand signals I was privy to drinking in Italy
Oh god I hate autocorrect.
I’m reminded of some of the hand signals I was privy to driving in Italy.
I like your first version better.
Either one of those work pretty well 😛
Maybe the resaoning here is that anyone who would buy a Maserati today isn’t the type of person who would care too much about how poorly it is designed.
As a person who’s hated touchscreens from day one I am all for things like this that turn people against them. Keep it up, automakers, until society has rejected this scourge.
Wait, they specifically design it and advertise you can operate the top at up to 50 kph and then instruct you to never do it, only operate it stationary?!?
WTH Maserati?
Marketing writes the ad copy. Lawyers write the manuals these days.
I’m a little disappointed, honestly. I was expecting you’d have to wave your hand with a particular flourish over a sensor.
Don’t give BMW any bright ideas.
Oh sure, opening the top at speed is easy. I know someone that did that on the freeway. I would advise against it though,
Closing the top at highway speeds is a whole other can of Surströmming.
Was it a manually-operated top?
When might you want to put the convertible top up when moving? Oh right, when it rains. And what doesn’t work properly when it has water on it? Oh right, capacitive touch screens.
Maserati Driver: Ah! The rain! It burns! *opens menu for roof control*
Roof: Let me show you the dance of my people. Up, down, up, down, up, down. C’mon, more energy!
Driving a convertible with the top down in the rain is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Just stay away from semi-trucks. But really, you have no idea what you are missing. It’s kind of a drag if you have to stop, but 65 in the rain with the top down, makes want a convertible again.
It’s not a universal pleasure.
I’ve tried hard to enjoy the convertible life. I’ve got a couple of decades worth of MX5, mk3 MR2, Elise and 2CV experience and at best it’s fine, I guess, but mostly it’s a buffeting, noisy, smelly, skin-cancery nightmare. For me at least, and I assume the vast majority of other drivers who choose to have a nice steel roof despite all the cheap convertibles everywhere.
Yeah, the sun isn’t as friendly as it used to be. I prefer convertibles at night. Also old convertibles seem to be less buffeting and noisy. I think back when the steel roof version of a car was designed to be driven with the windows open, making it into a decent convertible was a lot easier.
You are either a convertible person you are not. I wouldn’t want to live without one. Which is why I have two, and at one point had three.
Amusingly, I had never had a sunburn in my entire life until I bought my Spitfire. The sun alone won’t do it, but the wind drying out my skin let it happen. I really feel for the melanin-challenged folks – that kind of sucked.
Indeed. I drove across nearly the entire state of Oklahoma in a Miata with the top down in a thunderstorm several years back. It was fantastic! Luckily I managed to get ahead of the storm before I needed to stop for gas.
Or my old Karmann Ghia in a beautiful light fluffy snowstorm circa 1969. Sadly there was no heater to speak of. Gladly we were driving slowly on a back road with no street lamps. So the flakes were illuminated by the brights. Or maybe illuminated by what we had ingested a while before?
It’s even better in the snow.
And if you have a recent Mercedes-Benz with the built in draught-stop and wind blocker above the windshield – its amazing.
Side windows up – heat on full, seat heaters on…
…and Yeti Rambler filled with a nice hot cuppa tea in the cupholder.
Snow is better. 🙂 Saab convertibles have EXCELLENT heaters.
Swipe right to make your car payment
Swipe left to initiate trade in
“Unfortunately we can only offer you $1700 for your trade in because the convertible top is not working.”
I get it, as long as you have a full time convertible top co-pilot.
I rather like my simple toggle switch I use to raise and lower my convertible top. Aside from lacking back lighting, it’s simple and works like a charm.
I for one love it. In 10-20 years, high-power luxury cars from the “what the fuck were they thinking with this touchscreen garbage” era will be the ones I can actually afford.
A 10-20yo Maserati will at least look pretty as it sits dead in your garage. You could mount a big TV on the wall and sit in those sumptuous seats and pretend it’s a drive-in!
<fast forward 4 years>
INTRODUCING the new 2030 Tesla Model Z! Now featuring steering “yoke” touch pad with a horizontal capacitive touch bar for steering and vertical touch bar for speed! In the center of the pad is an image of a steering yoke and a gas pedal that follow your inputs — it’s so fun! But you never need them, because all you have to do is set it to FSD beta gamma, then keep your two hands within one inch of each bar at all times in case real world events occur. Don’t sneeze!
Look sometimes you’re driving down the road and you want the top open 65%, no more, no less. This finally lets you do that.
Whatever became of zip-out rear windows?
Sounds like an teaching opportunity for you and your dog. They certainly could do it while at speed.
Well, I guess this is the touch screen equivalent to Italians talking with their hands.
I don’t know about that recommending to do it only when stopped. Sure my 60’s era convertible will let you operate the top with the vehicle in motion but all the 90’s and up Chrysler and Ford convertibles I’ve experienced the top will only operate with the vehicle in park. Yes they are/were all automatics, not sure what they do with the Manual transmission vehicles, though since it is all done by computers it would be pretty easy to poll the ABS or PCM for the vehicle speed and only operate it if the speed is zero.
My 1998 has a microswitch on the E-brake that either enables or disables roof operation. Later models use the speedometer, and allow top operation up to 15mph
If you pull the brake “one click” up will the switch switch?
Yes, and it will operate while in motion. I haven’t tested it over 2-3mph, but I had the same curiosity.
The Europeans generally let you do it at low speeds.
Though my friend’s early ’00s Chrysler Sebring allowed it in motion.
For the manual top on my ’96 Alfa Romeo Spider, the switches to release the rear of the top and open the cover will not work unless the car is turned off. Same with the fuel door release. I guess it’s a nice safety feature, but with power windows that need to be lowered to open the top, it’s a process of turning on the key to lower the windows, turn the key back off to open the top, then fire up the car to drive away. Not terrible, but a bit kludgy.
Yeah, that is a bit of a strange dance to let the sun shine in.
This has to go full circle, right? Like by the mid 2030s “all analog” is going to be an option people will pay extra for.
I’ve always wanted the interior of my car to resemble an aircraft panel, and I’m serious about that. I just love all the clicky switchy stuff, and having a physical switch, button or dial for commonly used functions is preferred. The more complicated it looks, the more I like it!
I have had my lexus is220 for five years, and I have no fucking clue what 80 percent of the buttons on the stereo do.
PERFECT!! I’ll take two!
You may also be overcome by desire at the delightfully square switchgear in old Volvos, mind. Those are some [i]nice[/i] buttons.
My friend, a now retired aerospace electrical engineer, built an “anti-theft” feature for his car. He took a piece of aluminum sheet and did a 3×4 grid of SPDT toggle switches. You must have them all in the correct position for it to start.
That is truly awful UI.
Reminds me of a competition to come up with the worst possible interface. One entrant was for a GPS-tied volume control – the farther you got from the equator, the louder the sound. Of course the downside of this concept is latitude maxes out at the poles, so the volume could never get above 90% of what was available. (And, of course, you had to drive to the equator to effectively mute the radio.)
In this case, navigating to through a menu, then swiping AND HOLDING until the roof completes its motion is almost as bad. I can see people dying because of the distraction.
I hated holding the button in my Miata so much I spent several hundred dollars for an aftermarket black box to turn it into a one-touch operation, and Mazda, to their credit, eventually made it a standard feature in newer models.
This would be a deal breaker as far as me buying that Maserati.
I assume legal insisted on that so if you do something dumb you can’t blame it on them. I don’t know how one ends up doing something dumb with a convertible top, but I can imagine panicking and not being able to make it stop. So making ppl hold the rocker switch I can understand. But yeah, this is a lot of extra work to make a worse experience (and save $0.34 per car vs using a button, which we know is the real reason).
The “something dumb” with a convertible top is driving too fast before it’s latched or fully retracted. Exceed the threshold and the top stops moving. Go too much faster and the wind wrecks your top.
Different manufacturers set different limits, and it may even vary by model.
I think there was a particular Ferrari model that could do up to about 30 mph, whereas I think another manufacturer that set the limit at 6 mph, if I recall correctly. Those are the extremes I can think of for the cars that allow vehicle movement while the top is in motion.
I think I can do up to about 15 with my PRHT. It lets me raise or lower the top at a stop light without having to impede traffic, or get to the street while backing down the driveway.
I watched that Demuro video. That convertible top control is asinine… But what’s even dumber (as noted by Doug) is the $200k+ price tag. I don’t think anyone is gonna be dropping that kinda coin on a Maserati in this day and age.
Well they certainly wouldn’t with a convertible that opens the old fashioned way.
Not without buying a biturbo first. Then dropping $100k fixing it. And buying a 911 to drive while it’s being fixed.
I can see people dropping $200k on a Maserati pretty easily. But on a Maserati that’s mechanically equivalent to a $55k Mustang? Not really.
$200k on a Maserati? Are we talking what the Buy Here/Pay Here makes on a Maserati? Ooh, paying that much for one. No.
Could be worse. Steer by swipe! Control your ride temple run style.
That actually sounds fun!
God, no – please don’t give Tesla any ideas for their FSD override!
Didn’t some OEM try to make joystick controlled cars a thing in the 50’s and they realized it was essentially un-drivable?
I believe Saab made a car with a side stick instead of a steering wheel. There’s a video of Clarkson driving it.
Well how ‘bout that! I learned about it on The Old Site:
Modulating throttle while turning would be tricky, and the range of motion of a joystick would demand fairly small, precise movements, which aren’t always easy to achieve in intense driving situations.
Read More: https://www.jalopnik.com/why-the-joystick-controlled-car-will-never-die-or-actua-1525301418/
Like this?
https://youtu.be/CeFRizmJRQw
Now if you can do it at speed I would be really impressed.
I keep forgetting Maserati exists. Then I see one and I go “Wow, they’re still in business. I wonder how.” And now they do this. SMH
Meh, its a Maserati, its going to fail relatively quickly, hopefully in the closed position, and the owner will just be left with a permanent worse coupe
Also, I feel like power tops probably shouldn’t exist at all, have a simple mechanism that can be unlatched, pulled into place, and latched in seconds, with one hand
Failboat
A couple of years ago I was driving down the street and there was a BMW convertible with the top opened about a foot making one hell of a scoop. It was a city street so the speeds aren’t that fast but still. I’m guessing he was doing it because it broke while going up or down.
Miata Is Always The Answer
+1 came here for this, left satisfied
Hurr hurr power tops hurr hurr
To be fair, a decent percentage of the people buying convertible GTs from Maserati are probably too arthritic to use a manual top. And the rest are simply too posh.
…Oh my gosh, Maserati is the Corvette of Italy!
You just need a RIO to operate the controls while you pilot the vehicle. Talk to me, Goose. The touchscreenification of everything sucks.