An exhaustive run down of the features and innovations is here, on a blog from "Turbo" Bob Anderson a long-time aviator and owner of several Cirrus models. (These two illustrations are via his blog.) An immediate point to notice is the "synthetic vision" feature on the left-hand panel. The idea here is that even when it's dark, even when it's cloudy, the screen gives an idea of where the runway is, where obstacles and mountains are, etc.
Obviously this not what pilots are supposed to rely on to find their way when they can't see. That's the whole point of instrument flight plans, instrument approaches and departure procedures, and so on. But this kind of easily-understandable graphic display can make a huge difference in "situational awareness," which is the aviation term for the main trait that can keep you alive in difficult circumstances. The features in this cockpit far exceed what's available in most commercial airliners. The new planes will be very expensive. My hope is that they prove so popular that eventually they drift down to a discounted used-plane market, as has happened with previous models from Cirrus.
Update: the editor of AOPA Pilot, Thomas Haines, also has a rundown on the new Cirrus here. He emphasizes a different new feature: the bright blue "LVL" button, that is supposed to return the plane to straight-and-level flight from conditions of extreme pitch and roll (up to 75 degrees of bank and 50 degrees of pitch). Although Haines doesn't put it this way, this button could be applied in JFK Jr-type situations, in which the pilot has lost control of the plane (usually because he can't see the horizon or tell up from down) and needs help before it's too late.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2008/05/aviation-buffs-only-new-model-from-cirrus-updated/8052/
