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Daimler, BMW, Audi consortium nabs Nokia maps for $2.72B

A consortium of German automakers made up of Daimler, BMW, and Audi has reportedly banded together to buy Nokia's Here mapping division for the equivalent of about $2.7 billion. The particulars of the deal aren't yet official but could be announced at the end of July. Reuters claims that this info comes from anonymous insiders speaking to Manager Magazin in Germany. It might be too soon, however, to declare a buyer. Reuters also spoke to two other insiders, and they said that no deal has been completed yet. None of the firms involved has officially spoken about the negotiations. Some of the other bidders for the division have reportedly bowed out. Here is a high-definition digital mapping company that controls about 70 percent of the auto market. The company has a fleet of vehicles with cameras and LIDAR (pictured above) to generate all of the necessary information. It also partners with trucking companies to use their GPS data. Nokia started looking for potential buyers for Here earlier this year. Tech giants that reportedly included Uber and Apple were rumored to be interested, while German automakers also teamed up to submit a joint bid in part to protect their access to the maps. On paper, Here is only valued at around $785 million, but a sale in the billions now seems assured. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Nokia Here Earnings/Financials Audi BMW Technology here nokia here

2015 Audi A3 E-Tron [w/video]

Over the years, we've had a chance to test a lot of Audi E-Tron vehicles, from very early all-electric prototypes (back then we only got to sit in the passenger seat) to the A6 L E-Tron PHEV and the A1 E-Tron plug-in hybrid. All of them were concepts and promises, merely whispers of what was possible, even as the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and two Tesla models were making waves in the marketplace.
As we learned last year in our Deep Dive of the E-Tron project, all of the concepts, prototypes and rumors have finally come to fruition in this A3 Sportback E-Tron. Previously, we were given a chance to drive a prototype, but it was only very briefly. Last week, we finally got to run a production-representative example through the hilly roads between Vienna, Austria and Munich, Germany. After spending a solid day with Audi's first marketable E-Tron vehicle, we can say that it's a most amazing bit of engineering, in particular for the way that Audi has done so much to hide the fact that this is an electrified vehicle. Not entirely, of course, but the idea was to make the A3 Sportback E-Tron a no-compromise PHEV. And that means it drives and feels, in many ways, like the standard A3 Sportback despite over 700 extra pounds. Oh, and there's a charge port hidden behind the four rings in the grille.

Audi's new driving school: Drive an R8 at Circuit of the Americas

Every car enthusiast's dream is to be able to drive fast, exotic cars on a famous racetrack, and Audi's new driving school offers exactly that. The Audi Driving Experience has set up shop at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas, which you may know as the home of the United States Grand Prix F1 race. The company offers four different programs of varying length, intensity, and cost, but they all feature some Audi's best vehicles including the RS3, TT RS, and the R8 V10 Plus. Two of the programs are half-day, and they teach some of the basics of high-performance driving. The first is called the "Dynamic Experience." It covers things like emergency handling and braking, and it takes place in the exercise paddocks rather than on the actual track. It also only features the RS3 and TT RS. But it's also the most affordable at $595. The other half-day program is the "Track Initiation," and it takes place both in the aforementioned paddocks and on the full Circuit of the Americas course. It adds the R8 to the car roster. It also costs $400 more at $995. The other two programs are longer. The "R8 Track Initiation" program is a full day of driving instruction and practice. It focuses on learning the course by taking it one section at a time, followed by driving the full course toward the end of the day. It features all three cars, and it costs a not-insignificant $2,195. The "R8 Pro Track Initiation" builds on the one-day program with a two-day course. In addition to more track time and more advanced instruction, the course will teach driving techniques such as the famous Scandinavian Flick for inducing oversteer. This program costs a pricey $4,995, and you have to have completed the regular R8 Track Initiation course. Related Video: Image Credit: Audi Auto News Audi Driving Coupe Performance Sedan circuit of the americas