Autoblog

Audi accidentally(?) previews 2013 A3 design at CES

Zach Bowman — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Audi, Design/Style

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Audi may have accidentally let slip the exterior design of its upcoming 2013 A3.The German automaker set about showing off the hatchback's cabin with a static display at Las Vegas' CES ahead of the vehicle's expected unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The display gives the world a sense of what to expect from the luxury compact's front seats, center console and dash, which features a stand-alone LCD display that rises out from above the instrument panel's center air vents. Like other Audi displays, the screen features various vehicle menus, including two that show off the full exterior of the three-door model.

Judging from these two quick glimpses at the hatchback, the three-door will feature a new, more aggressive face. From the looks of things, buyers can expect to continue to find a large, signature Audi single-frame grille flanked by more purposeful headlights and sporty air intakes set low int he front fascia. Head over to Audiboost.com for a closer look at the vehicle inside and out. Don't get too attached to what you see, however. Past reports have suggested the vehicle will only debut as a sedan here in the States.

Audi accidentally(?) previews 2013 A3 design at CES originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: Next generation MMI, Touch debuting on Audi A3

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, Audi

Click above to enlarge

Take a close look at the photo above. You're looking at Audi's next generation MMI system being demoed during this morning's keynote at CES. The circuit board to the left is packing NVIDIA's Tegra chipset - the same processor powering a range of tablets and netbooks - and to the right is Audi's new scroll wheel, which has grown considerably. The reason for the added girth? Audi is incorporating the much-lauded MMI Touch interface directly into the scroll wheel. MMI Touch - which originally debuted on the A8 and is making its way to the A7 and all-new A6 - will continue to move down through the ranks of Audi's line-up and will debut on the next generation A3, likely to arrive within the next two years.

The revised MMI Touch will continue to include handwriting recognition, but will also handle scrolling and possibly gestures for panning, zooming and other functions. If you've used an iPhone, iPad or MacBook touchpad, you'll be right at home.

We also got a sneak preview of the Tegra's performance as it seamlessly rendered Google Earth, a new circular navigation menu and full 3D graphics. Audi claims to have over 100 engineers and user interface experts working on its infotainment software, and from what we've seen today, we believe them.

CES 2011: Next generation MMI, Touch debuting on Audi A3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Bentley Mulsanne is modern luxury with a strong sense of history

Chris Paukert — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Bentley, UK, New Car Reviews, Luxury

2011 Bentley Mulsanne - click above for high-res image gallery

Contrary to what you might expect, successfully keeping tradition alive in the automotive world isn't just about periodically mining one's stylistic back catalog or simply refusing to change altogether. To convincingly abide by the spirit of one's history without running the risk of extinction, or worse - self-parody - requires stealthy innovation, and to do so is a decidedly tricky undertaking.

Just ask Bentley. The British automaker has a long history of artfully highlighting its considerable heritage, from the exploits of the fabulous Bentley Boys to the timeless craftsmanship employed in its interiors. And despite the upright look of its new flagship, the 2011 Mulsanne, much thought and effort has been exerted into making what is actually a very modern proposition seem... traditional. Accomplishing this in an authentic and timeless manner is particularly important for an automaker like Bentley. Given the rather lengthy model lifecycles that small-volume manufacturers are often forced to adopt, it's crucial to nail the entire package the first time. Follow the jump to see if they've managed the feat.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Bentley Mulsanne

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Bentley Mulsanne is modern luxury with a strong sense of history

First Drive: 2011 Bentley Mulsanne is modern luxury with a strong sense of history originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 May 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Next Big Debate: Hardware or software?

Dan Roth — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Audi, BMW, Ford, GM, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz

More tech in your car? Oh, that's inevitable. But automakers are trying to figure out the best way to implement it. There are two main architectures currently; tethered and embedded. Ford's SYNC is an example of a tethered tech-integration system that uses Bluetooth to connect to mobile devices consumers already own and carry with them. General Motors' OnStar system is an embedded setup that builds the technology into the car. Going forward, the consensus seems to be that we're going to see systems that combine elements of both.

A tethered system is typically less costly than an embedded alternative, and it works with equipment you already own and know how to use. Systems like Sync can extend the functionality of your gear and is an attractive option to tech-savvy consumers. The lower cost makes it possible to proliferate these kind of features into more models, instead of just being a high-end feature. However, embedded systems offer advantages of their own. With communications hardware built in to the vehicle, performance is more reliable, and safety can be enhanced by tying in to the vehicle's crash sensors and stability control to automatically call for help if it detects a severe accident.

True to the cliche, it seems that the young'ins are more comfortable with tethered systems, while older generations prefer embedded systems. OnStar is already starting to do this, opening up the system in Chevrolet Volt applications with a mobile app that lets drivers connect to their car even when they're away from it. The future likely holds a system that combines aspects of both, enhancing safety, beating back obsolescence and drawing on the strength of each technology to deliver the best experience as cars continue to become more sophisticated.

[Source: AutoObserver.com]

The Next Big Debate: Hardware or software? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 May 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Audi, New Car Reviews, Luxury

2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet - Click above for high-res image gallery

Taking a great looking performance car and chopping off its roof is risky business - compromises are inevitable. That's especially true in this modern age of unibody structures. Removing a big chunk of a vehicle's architecture without adequately reinforcing what's left can yield a chassis incapable of managing the position of the wheels, let alone result in a vehicle that loses its level of driver engagement and enthusiasm. On the other hand, reinforcements add mass - often lots of it. It's a treacherous path, as both flaccid body control and weight are the mortal enemy of performance.

You can understand our trepidation, then, upon learning that Audi was planning on introducing its S5 Cabriolet at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. By our reckoning, the German debutante's rollout was cause for both consternation and celebration. When the A5 and S5 coupes arrived in 2007, they were hailed as being among the best looking cars ever to wear the brand's Four Rings. The new Cabriolet models would bring with them the euphoria of open-air motoring, but we had to wonder - would Audi's rakish new hardtop be turned into a floppy flier just by giving it a roofectomy? Equally as important, would the model's newly downsized engine drop the performance? There was only one thing to do: Put the range-topping S5 Cabriolet through a week-long test.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet

Continue reading Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick

Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi and NVIDIA bring 3D acceleration, Google Earth to the dashboard masses [w/video]

Tim Stevens — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Europe, Technology, Audi

Audi's all-new Multi Media Interface - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi's Multi Media Interface, or MMI, may not have been all things to all people when it launched in 2004, but Audi has been continually improving the system, making it the defacto way to access media in your Quattro-equipped sled. It's getting better still, with the third generation MMI (3G MMI) getting a boost courtesy of NVIDIA mobile graphics and providing some impressive visuals in the process. While attending CES, we took a bright green Q7 TDI for a spin and then walked inside to check out what's due to arrive later this year: the 2011 Audi A8's dashboard with Google Earth integration.

Gallery: Audi MMI 3G

Continue reading Audi and NVIDIA bring 3D acceleration, Google Earth to the dashboard masses [w/video]

Audi and NVIDIA bring 3D acceleration, Google Earth to the dashboard masses [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi updates MMI system for 2010 A3, TT and R8

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Audi

Audi's Multi-Media Interface, which is arguably the best of the various all-in-one graphical user interface systems favored, has just got better.

According to Audi, resolution on the system's 6.5-inch screen is getting bumped up to 800 x 480, route calculation will happen faster with a 600 MHz processor, and you can scroll along the route - not just vertically and horizontally - and get speed limit data on highways.

Additionally, the system will also finally charge external MP3 players that are plugged in to the system, song titles will be displayed,

The new A3, TT, and R8 will be the first to benefit from next-step MMI when they arrive in Stateside dealerships in the autumn. U.S. pricing hasn't been announced yet, but you can read about all of the next-gen system's new bells and whistles in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi updates MMI system for 2010 A3, TT and R8

Audi updates MMI system for 2010 A3, TT and R8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi details new MMI

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Technology, Audi

Audi's MMI in-car command system is one of the most intuitive offered by an OEM, but that isn't stopping Audi from piling on the improvements. The screen is now a seven-inch, 800x400 TFT display, being fed info from a high-capacity hard disk, a DVD drive, and an NVIDIA graphics chip. It also gets an eight-way joystick on the central knob, which means you can make mouse-like movements on the screen for point-and-click ease. In addition to all that, there are simpler vocal inputs, 3-D maps, a 10,000-number phone book, and two processors so that everything can run at the same time. It will arrive in the U.S. with the Q5 later this year, but in the mean time, you can get all the details in the lengthy press release after the jump.

Continue reading Audi details new MMI

Audi details new MMI originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Third-gen Audi A8 to be "stronger, sharper, more precise"

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Audi

From the first lozenge-shaped A8 that hit American shores in 1997, Audi's flagship sedan has slowly been asserting itself more and more. The current A8 W12 is almost always given credit for its beautiful-yet-subtle design and a glorious interior. American buyers, however, haven't thrown money at it like they do the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S Class. Audi is out to change that with the 2011 A8.

Among the changes, Audi is trumpeting improvements to the car's handling, the area in which it has traditionally lost ground to its European luxo-sedan brethren. The rear-biased quattro system will also be enhanced with Audi's "sport differential" torque-vectoring system, and if other markets clamors for it, Audi will offer the front-drive A8 outside of Europe. Inside, expect a raft of changes to the interior and a "more innovative" MMI system.

As before, the A8 will come in regular and long wheelbase versions, and provide a wide range of engines for world markets, from a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel through to the S8's V10. The transmission will be the same 8-speed ZF unit used by the 2009 BMW 7 Series.

All of it will be wrapped in sheetmetal that Audi says will be "stronger, shaper, more precise," a design that will make efforts to highlight the car's aluminum build technology. Said head designer Stefan Sielaff, the car will present "a strong three-dimensional theme," and be "the first of a new styling language at Audi." We can't wait to see it. Thanks for the tip, Other Man!

[Source: Car and Driver]

Third-gen Audi A8 to be "stronger, sharper, more precise" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi introduces the next MMI

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Technology, Audi

If you're buying an A8 this year, prepare to spend a lot of time getting to know your new MMI system. We have consistently thought that Audi's buttons-and-knob interface is the best, and it looks like they've put an entire NASA team on the job of making it better. A seven-inch TFT screen with 800x400 resolution is now controlled by an 8-position joystick. Moving from one screen to another is done via "elegant crossfades," which sounds a bit PowerPoint-ish, but we'll wait until we see it to judge. And among other improvements, navigational maps can be rendered in "birds-eye perspective" 3D, with topographical map coloration. The only thing missing is the Encyclopedia Britanica. You can check out the exhaustive press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi introduces the next MMI

Audi introduces the next MMI originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi's new MMI system will debut in Q5

Michael Harley — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Technology, Audi

Click on image above for a high-res photo gallery of the Audi Q5

Audi's next-gen Multi-Media Interface (MMI) technology will debut in the new Audi Q5 compact crossover arriving later this year. Built by Harmon/Becker Automotive Systems, it is reportedly going to set benchmarks for automotive navigation, communication, and wide-screen entertainment. (We'll just pretend we've never heard that before.)

In any case, the system utilizes a high-performance NVIDIA(R) graphics processor for smooth map transitions, even while underway. Vehicle orientation is enhanced by a three-dimensional view with true-to-scale terrain, and photorealistic depictions of key landmarks. They've even gone so far (too far?) as to include commercial points of interest complete with brand logos for easier driver identification. The new MMI will include support for external USB storage media (iPod or MP3), satellite radio, and it contains an integral four-band GSM cell phone (SIM card ready) with Bluetooth connectivity. While we welcome a faster processor, let's hope the additional complexity comes with a simplified interface. Having spent hours futzing with the current-gen MMI, and the competition's COMAND and iDrive infotainment systems... we are crossing our fingers, but still reserving judgment until we actually use it.

Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Beijing '08: 2009 Audi Q5

Continue reading Audi's new MMI system will debut in Q5

Audi's new MMI system will debut in Q5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Updates on Audi: A1 coming, Tokyo concept, A8/Bentley diet

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Tokyo Motor Show, Crossover, Hatchback, Audi, Bentley

4Car sat down with Michael Dick, a member of Audi's board who heads up the product engineering side of things, and came away with new insights on the MINI-fighting A1, the future of Bentley and what products are waiting in the wings.

Starting small, Audi's new A1 will not share the all-aluminum construction of the less-than-popular A2, instead using the steel PQ24 platform that underpins the VW Polo and Skoda Fabia. It will be distinctly Audi in its design, albeit in a small package, and will feature a number of technologies - specifically the MMI setup - that's found in the quad-ring's luxury offerings. Don't expect Quattro in the beginning, nor will a three-door body be offered at first, but Dick confirmed that there would be a concept debuting in Tokyo next month that hints at the A1's styling.

Audi is also developing a new alloy structure for the A8 that will underpin the next generation of Bentleys, and will likely reduce the overall weight of both models by over 300 pounds. Also, the reworked A3 is coming next year, along with a convertible version, while the Q5 will arrive in 2008 complete with either a hybrid drivetrain or a diesel engine - both slated for sales in the U.S.

[Source: 4Car]

Updates on Audi: A1 coming, Tokyo concept, A8/Bentley diet originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meant to be: Audi integrates the iPhone

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:25:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Audi

With both Audi and Apple's minimalist design ethos, it was simply a matter of time before they joined forces and offered a way to integrate the new iPhone across the four-ringed lineup. Any Audi model equipped with Bluetooth will allow the iPhone to be paired with the vehicle, giving users the ability to make and receive hands-free phone calls, as well as providing a signal strength indicator, assigning specific names to numbers (Work, Home, etc.) and allowing access to call lists.

On the music front, the addition of the Audi Music Interface will give the vehicles MMI system direct control of all the iPod capabilities of the iPhone, allowing users to navigate everything from playlists to albums. The AMI is available as an optional extra on the A5, A6, A8 and Q7, although we'd expect the full line of Audi vehicles to allow integration sooner rather than later.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Meant to be: Audi integrates the iPhone

Meant to be: Audi integrates the iPhone originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi developing audible news reader for your auto

John Neff — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, I.C.E., Technology, Audi

Audi is pushing the envelope in audio entertainment with a new research project that aims to deliver news reports audibly that are custom configured by the driver. Audi says the system, known as MACS My News, allows the driver to become "editor-in-chief" by choosing what type of content to hear and for how long. World news, sports and weather are a few types of content the system will be able to deliver, and it will all be controlled via spoken commands or Audi's MMI (Multi Media Interface).

Foursprung has what appears to be an official release, though it doesn't touch on what type of voice will be "reading" the content to be delivered. We assume it will be digital and synthetic, which we fear would be entirely too annoying to listen to at length. That is, unless it's a cool digital voice like that of Johnny 5 or the supercomputer named Joshua from War Games.

[Source: Foursprung]

Audi developing audible news reader for your auto originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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