An Epic Rant Against Touch Screen Convertible Top Controls

What do you think of Maserati putting its convertible top controls on a touch screen?

Automotive journalist Jason Torchinsky hates it — and hilariously rants about it in his latest article for The Autopian.

Here’s an excerpt:

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.

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…

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…

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.

As you can probably tell, Torchinsky isn’t new to ranting. In the past, he’s published epic rants against sagging headliners and plastic rear windows, which are definitely worth a read.

The same goes for this epic rant against touch screen convertible controls. No one asked for it. It unnecessarily complicates an already simple process. And, as Torchinsky alludes, risks further distracting drivers and causing harm.

Not to mention, touch screen controls make it more difficult for small, independent trim shops to repair top frames.

So yeah, we agree with Torchinsky. This is stupid.

To read the full rant, see “Maserati Finds A Use For Touchscreens That No One Asked For Or Even Wants.”