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How Audi will make roads friendlier to autonomous cars

Today, Audi announced some of the new projects it will be implementing on Germany's Digital Motorway Test Bed, which comprises a few sections of highway on which the government and industry can test autonomous and connected tech. Among Audi's projects is one specifically aimed at making roads easier for autonomous cars to navigate. Audi is looking to make the road and other objects more visible. The company has been researching materials that could make guardrails and road markers reflect radar waves more readily, and Audi will install test versions soon. The goal here is to help make these objects easier for the autonomous vehicle's sensors to see in inclement weather, and at greater distances in good weather. The company will also test additional road markings that will be easier to see for onboard cameras and will help the car place itself on the road. Audi will also try out new vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology that will be able to alert cars to speed limits, traffic conditions, ice patches and possibly allow for driving patterns such as platooning. This will be a significant step above the traffic light communication system Audi has released in select areas. The company will also be working on very detailed mapping of the area. Audi claims it will be accurate down to the centimeter. From what we've seen at MCity, the world as it stands presents all kinds of difficulties for autonomous vehicles, from worn-out signs to rough pavement. So any advances that make it easier for autonomous cars to see and communicate should help bring such vehicles to reality much sooner. Related Video: News Source: Audi Green Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles v2v vehicle to vehicle communications vehicle to infrastructure technology connected cars v2i

Audi S8 Plus packs 605 horsepower

Audi doesn't offer an RS 8, and probably never will. But with the release of the new S8 Plus, we wonder if it will ever have to. Because Ingolstadt's new flagship performance sedan packs a mighty punch. "Plus" doesn't even begin to describe the enhancements Audi and Quattro GmbH have wrought on the ultimate new version of the A8 sedan. Power is increased from 520 horsepower to 605, besting anything else in its class. Only the Mercedes S65, which packs four more cylinders and two additional liters of displacement, offers more horsepower. Torque is quoted at 516 lb-ft – a gain of 35 – and can deliver up to as much as 553 lb-ft in overboost. That bests any eight-cylinder performance sedan save the S63. The force-fed V8s in the Jaguar XJR, Maserati Quattroporte, and outgoing Alpina B7 don't stand a chance. All that muscle translates to a 0-62 time quoted at 3.8 seconds. Top speed is governed as usual to 155 miles per hour, but can be derestricted to nearly 190 with the Dynamic package that comes standard in Germany – one of the few places where top speed actually matters. Carbon-ceramic brakes keep all that power and pace in check, nestled inside 21-inch wheels. Naturally, Audi gives the S8 Plus a wide array of visual upgrades inside and out to set it apart from "lesser" versions, and is offering it in an exclusive matte silver finish. Of course none of those enhancements come cheap. In its home market come the end of November, Audi will charge 145,200 euros for the S8 Plus, representing a 28k premium over the existing S8. That also places this as the new top of the line, commanding a higher price than even the long-wheelbase, dozen-cylinder A8 L W12. We're waiting on word as to whether Audi will bring the new S8 Plus to America, where it would likely similarly cost over $140k. The pinnacle of sportiness – the new Audi S8 plus - Highest powered sport sedan in the premium segment - 4.0 TFSI engine outputs 445 kW (605 hp) and up to 750 Nm (553.2 lb ft) - Zero to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.8 seconds; top speed of up to 305 km/h (189.5 mph). Audi is making a strong statement with the new S8 plus*. With a power output of 445 kW (605 hp) and a top speed of up to 305 km/h (189.5 mph), the new Audi S8 plus* delivers even more enhanced driving performance. The new top model is reinforcing the brand's position in the segment of premium class sedans. "We have further sharpened our large sport sedan," says Prof. Dr.

Audi billboard tracks pedestrians like prison escapees

Audi's adaptive Matrix LED headlights can actively dim and direct light around the road to make driving safer at night. Unfortunately, the tech runs afoul of Department of Transportation rules, so it isn't currently available in the United States. For an idea of what you're missing, a marketing stunt for the new A4 in Belgium is illuminating the night and making pedestrians in the intersection more visible, and safer. The only problem is, it also makes them look like fugitives making an escape. From a giant billboard near the Brussels Central Station, the LEDs from a massive Audi A4 can light up whole intersection. Whenever a pedestrian or cyclist enters the area at night, they are tracked the whole way in a radiant pillar of blue luminescence. Based on this clip, the lights look bright enough to temporarily blind some passersby. Despite the unintended consequences, the stunt is still a very visible demonstration of Audi's headlight technology. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.