Following a successful debut in the in the Audi R18 Le Mans race car earlier this year, Audi decided their digital rear-view mirror solution is something they can use in production cars as well. And the first car to get it is the upcoming electric super car, the R8 e-tron. The e-tron has no rear window, so they kinda had to use this system for it, but it’s something that will catch on.

With a camera located in an aerodynamically optimized housing just under the third brake light, and a monitor i place of the conventional mirror, the system offers the driver  a consistent high-contrast, brilliant image. It is also sophisticated and has dimming feature and can even prevent dazzle from the headlights of other vehicles. It can also be turned off.

What’s more, Audi is working on incorporating additional information on the monitor in future. So maybe sometime very soon you’ll be able to check your Twitter in your rear-view mirror!

The R8 e-trons system consists of  a 7.7-inch AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) display with Samsung technology – like those used in their smartphones – and a small, ultra-light camera. The new displays are more energy-efficient, thinner, and lighter than conventional LCD monitors. Switching times are just a few milliseconds irrespective of the ambient temperature.