THE BEST ENGINE START BUTTONS
A handful of essential facts on the new super-luxe, tech-heavy flagship
01
Alfa Romeo Giulia
A starter button on the dashboard? Zzzz. Somehow, it’s more interesting – more Italian – to have it on the steering wheel. Audidoes that in the R8 V10. Lots of Ferraris do the same. But the Alfa Romeo Giulia brings a slice of that exotic action to a family saloon.
02 Mini Cooper
A clever idea to keep the Mini’s toggle switch traditions: turn the engine start-stop button into the biggest toggle switch of all. Somehow this red tongue protruding from the Cooper’s dashboard is just more inviting than a standard starter button.
03 Aston Martin DB11
Some cars have starter buttons made from plastic. A few of them use cool-to-the-touch metal. But Aston Martin uses glass, and it looks and feels darn expensive. This replaced the irritating old ‘emotionalcontrolunit’ pop-out key, so extra points for that.
04 Honda Civic Type R
This isn’t a particularly remarkable button, but it was always a great one to use. Something about the glossy feel, the size, and how heavily it was sprung – it gave starting the Civic a real sense of occasion, as if the button had been stolen from a nuclear missile silo.
05 McLaren F1
The button that starts one of the world’s all-time greatest engines isn’t even marked. It’s just a plain red button that lives under a safety catch. In an aircraft, covers over buttons stop the pilot accidentally firing off missiles. In the F1, it prevents even more costly engine start-up.
06 Lamborghini Aventador
More fighter jet stuff here, from the not-at-allstealthy Aventador. The Huracán and even the Urus SUV also have glossy red covers for their starter buttons, but Lambo appreciates that lifting the little hat out of the way every time might get ever so tiresome. So, there’s a hole in the cover...
07 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Mounted on top of the automatic gearbox’s selector, the McMerc’s starter button was hidden beneath a surprisingly flimsy cover, but cupping the lever in hand while pressing thumbdown on the power button always had the feel, and noise, of detonating a building demolition.
08 McLaren Senna
A starter button on the ceiling. If you had dreams of being an airline pilot, flicking switchgear above your head, but failed the exams, then try saving up for McLaren’s downforce-hungry track weapon instead. Chances are you won’t take off, however hard you push, but you can at least try.
09 Volvo XC90
Not even a button – it’s a sort of twisty-turned knurled lozenge. And none of the engines it starts are particularly interesting. Or even class-leadingly smooth or frugal. But this is a piece of design Volvo didn’t have to bother with, and yet it did anyway, because it feels nice.
IT’S WATCHING YOU
Cameras in the ceiling watch the occupants and, terrifyingly, they learn your habits. This allows the ‘Interior Assist’ to basically read your mind. Turn your head around from the passenger seat and the car lowers the rear sunblind in case you’re about to be dazzled. Reach across the dashboard after dark and the cabin lights illuminate where you’re looking. Very cool. Bit creepy.
IT’LL NEVER GO OUT OF DATE
As well as observing how often you pick your nose, the S-Class now also learns from the internet. The screens and even the headlights are just a couple of the 50 electrical systems that download over-the-air updates, keeping the Merc flagship brimming with the latest tech and meaning fewer visits to dealerships, apparently. Give your driver the day off.
IT’S (ALMOST) AS CITY AND U-TURN FRIENDLY AS A MINI
Spec the optional rear-wheel steering and your chauffeur will love you even more. With the system on board, even the long-wheelbase S-Class’s turning circle is shrunk by a whopping 1.9 metres, meaning it’ll need just 10.9 metres to turn around. A current Mini uses about 11 metres – unless you use the handbrake.
IT’S SAFE AS HOUSES
Like the Audi A8, the S-Class’s air suspension can almost instantly raise the car’s ride height when a side impact is detected, directing the forces through the stronger sill rather than into the doors. Inside meanwhile, rear seat passengers get their own airbag, which occupies 60 litres of space when inflated. Mmm, comfy.
IT CAN’T DRIVE ITSELF. YET...
While Tesla has massively back-pedalled the handsfree-ness of its ‘Autopilot’ driver aid, Mercedes is playing it more cautiously. However, we’re promised “from the second half of 2021, the S-Class will be able to drive in highly automated mode at up to 37mph where traffic density is high or in tailbacks on suitable motorway sections.” You didn’t think the Germans would let Elon get away with out-coding them, did you?