Kuhan

Every car I bought outside the US from the late 90s onwards has a parabolic or curved side mirror that covers the normal view as well as the blind spot. Does Porsche sell their cars with these mirrors outside of the US?

Here's a picture of what it would look like - the dotted line shows the part where the mirror stops being "flat" and curves to include the wide view. The mirrors aren't usually curved, they just do something with the glass to make it behave like it's curved.



I read somewhere that US legistlation mandates flat mirrors or something like that...

Harvey in FL

I purchased a right and left side replacement glass for my 986 Boxster a while ago from Suncoast. Both lenses were curved and even more curved to the far outside edge. You may want to give them a call.

Harvey

Kuhan

Thanks Harvey. I simply don't understand why this is not standard equipment on US models...

gota911

Convex mirrors are great., and I agree that they do help a lot.

I'm not saying that you do this, but many drivers have their side view mirrors set incorrectly. If you can see all of the car directly behind you in all three mirrors (rear view, left side, and right side) then the side view mirrors are set too far "inside." Even convex mirrors won't be much help is they are adjusted incorrectly.

When set properly, the side view mirrors should pick up a car passing you on either side just before the car leaves your vision in the rear view mirror. When the rear of the car is about leave your vision on the side view mirror, then the front of the car should be visible in your normal peripheral vision. This eliminates the "blind spot" completely.

alexb76

Same, doesn't make ANY SENSE! Well, not like a lot of DOT crap does!

StanThePorscheFan

I have been using this technique for a while now. Here is how I set it:
When in driver seat, sit straight, tilt your head to the left side and hold it there. Now set your left mirror so you can just see a little bit of your car (not the entire rear fender). Do the same for the other side. Now when you sit straight you will not see your car at all in the side mirrors. Get used to it.

I no longer turn my head to check the blind spots. I dont have them.

cpbmd

Thanks for the tip on mirror adjustment. When I get my P-car that is the first thing I am going to adjust. I had a close call in my Honda Pilot the other day because the mirrors were at my wife's setting.

Kuhan

Tim, I do set my mirrors up that way but I would hesitate to use the word "eliminate". You will still have blind spots caused by the pillars at the back of the car. When driving wifey's Volvo over the weekend, I managed to fit a BMW 3-series nicely in the obstruction caused by the rear pillars so it's not entirely fool-proof.

Link to a wikipedia article that has a good drawing showing the vulnerability. They also use the phrase "eliminate"!

In the end, I think you still have to move you head and scan if you really want to be safe.

gota911

I have my mirrors set like the second (colored) attachment below from the link you included. I don't have to turn to look at the normal "blind spots" because it would be redundant to what I see in the mirrors.

cpbmd

Here is the link to the Aspherical mirrors at Suncoast. I wonder how difficult they are to install?
http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...y_Code=997SEXT

jhbrennan

Very easy to install - just proceed carefully. Someone posted a while ago (2+ years) on how to do it. I think you tilt mirror all the way in and then using a plastic pry tool behind the mirror, it pops out. New mirror pops in. When you get the new mirror you can see from the backing where it attaches. IIRC, if you have dimming mirrors, there's an electical connection too.

Kuhan

You still have the blind spots that are shown as the white areas. I my wife's car the rear pillar obstruction is so large that a car can hide in that area!

cpbmd

I don't have self dimming mirrors. When I turn on the defroster for the back windscreen do the mirrors get warm and defrost too? If do then there must be an electrical connection for the heat supply to the mirrors that I should be concerned with.

gota911

Which is why it is useless to turn and look back at the pillar. This is why the side mirrors need to be adjusted correctly and why convex mirrors help with that situation.

The blue car in the diagram is visible in both the rear view mirror and the passenger's side mirror. Consequently, the "blind spot" (indicated in white) is not large enough for a car or even a motorcycle to "hide" in.

winkingchef

/agree
Your mirrors should be set so you can only see the rear fenders if your head is against the driver's window or pulled over far right. There should be no duplication in coverage between the 3 mirrors.