Skip to Content

Massively looks at the best free to play games

Filed under: Euro, Tech, Audi

Chameleon A8 - an Audi that drives like an Elise, GTI, Getz and E-Class!



Audi has seen the future, and the future is exciting; at least in Ingolstadt. Engineers at Audi have cooked up the automotive equivalent of the Focusrite Liquid Mix. An A8L has been pressed into service as the basis for Audi's emulator, having been modified with extra hydraulics, an active steering system and hardware to steer the rear wheels, as well. Dubbed HORST, for Handling Online Research Simulation Tool, the car was initially developed to ape the dynamic responses of an E-Class Benz. More cars have been added as "presets," and engineers can switch from a range of vehicles, including a VW GTI, a Lotus Elise, even a Hyundai Getz, all at the behest of a laptop.

[Source: Auto Express]


While the thought of a vehicle with software-tweakable ride, handing, and braking settings gets our salivary glands going, this particular Audi is a one-off development mule, and the cost is amplified by a factor of 10. Of course, the Audi is a mimic, and not an exact copy of the cars it's dynamically benchmarking. It's the same thing as those emulator rigs for guitarists - you get a flavor reminiscent of your target, but it's not the exact same thing. A fully-adjustable car, such as the HORST, may not ever see the light of day. All that hardware definitely adds weight, and that's not the most effective way to get an already hefty vehicle to act like the flyweight Elise. The tried and true method of vehicle customization through springs, shocks, and other hardware tweaks is still the way to go for the forseeable future. While not it's not cheap to go at your vehicle with wrenches, the cost of Audi's setup is far, far out of the realm of sanity. Besides, if you had that kind of cash to drop on a car, you can get a Ferrari tailored to your liking.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Featured Galleries

2010 Jaguar XJ
Fiat 500C UK launch
1931 Miller V16 racing car
Review: 2009 Ford Edge Sport
2010 Hyundai Sonata - spy shots
Ferrari at 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Bridgestone 3G RFT
Review: 2009 Smart ForTwo
Forza 3 Japanese Screen Shots
Review: 2009 Audi A6 3.0T
2010 Lamborghini LP550-2
First Drive: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT
AOL Autos

Find Your Next Car


Autoblog Video

Autoblog Green

BloggingStocks

Download Squad

Engadget

Joystiq

Autoblog Spanish

Switched.com

FanHouse

Asylum