VW used a simple technology to solve the problem of dirty backup cameras

pulse

June 30, 2017 4:21 PM

Backup cameras are a big improvement in car safety, but have you ever tried to use one in nasty weather?

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Last year, I tested out a VW Beetle "Dune," a special edition of the iconic reboot of the legendary "people's car."

The car is loads of fun, has an amazing audio system, and is pretty cheap, at under $30,000 (£21,300).

But it also has a nifty feature that no driver is ever going to see — although he or she might hear it, and it solves a problem that every driver with a backup camera has faced when the weather gets rough.

Check it out:

It's an adorable little gold VW Beetle "Dune."

You start it up and put it in reverse and ...

... the backing camera activates and you can see behind you on the infotainment screen.

Here's the back of the car.

But where is the camera? Don't see one anywhere, just that famous VW badge ...

... that flips open when the car is in reverse to reveal the hidden camera! Can you spot it?

There it is. Quite cool, but something the driver never sees, as the badge closes when the car isn't in reverse. You can hear it opening, however, from the driver's seat. And because the camera is almost always covered, it stays clean.

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