2013 Audi S7 Quattro S Tronic * Bang & Olufsen * Innovation Pkg * $96k Msrp! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Startup will make your Audi A4 self-driving for $10k [w/video]

We are on the cusp of the next generation of semi-autonomous driving technology becoming affordable. Adaptive cruise control is already trickling down to the mass market, and the more sophisticated systems found on vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class are clearly coming, as well. If you're a little adventurous, live in California and drive an Audi, you might be able to upgrade to the next stage of driverless tech even sooner. A San Francisco start-up called Cruise Automation is launching an aftermarket autopilot system called the RP1 for $10,000, with deliveries starting in 2015.
The RP1 is designed for 2012 and newer Audi A4 and S4 models. Although, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt told Autoblog in an email: "There's no reason we can't expand to other cars, and we will." The system includes a sensor pod on the roof containing cameras, radar and other sensors to scan the road ahead. It then sends data to a small computer mounted on the side of the trunk. The desired inputs are then made by actuators for the steering, brakes and throttle to control the car. A button in the cabin activates the autopilot and controls the desired speed. Not completely unlike Audi's own, developmental, semiautonomous system.
At this point, the RP1 is somewhere between an adaptive cruise control system and an autonomous vehicle. It can control all of the cars inputs and even bring it down to a complete stop and then accelerate again. However, it only works on select highways in California. "We use geofencing to limit the areas of operation to segments of highway in which we've collected enough data to ensure our customers' safety," said Vogt to Autoblog.

Audi, Porsche ensnared in new Volkswagen cheating allegations

The scope of the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal that has enveloped the global automaker for the past six weeks widened Monday. Now, some of the automaker's premium brands are further ensnared in the mess. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency issued a second notice of violations Monday, accusing Volkswagen of violating the Clean Air Act by using defeat devices that circumvent emissions testing on diesel versions of certain vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter engines. Roughly 10,000 vehicles in the United States contain the illegal software, the EPA alleges. That's a far smaller number than the 482,000 vehicles affected by the first instances of cheating, which Volkswagen confessed to in September. But this latest violation alleges the cheating occurred broadly through the Volkswagen empire and includes vehicles from the Porsche and Audi brands. Audi had one model, the A3, involved in the first round of announced violations. But the brand, which has enjoyed skyrocketing sales in the US in recent years, is more extensively involved in violations announced Monday. The 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L and Q5 are among the cars which contain the illegal software, which permits the cars to emit nitrogen oxide at up to nine times the allowable thresholds set in the Clean Air Act, according to the EPA. The 2015 Porsche Cayenne and '14 Volkswagen Toureg SUV are also affected. "There is clear evidence of additional violations and it's important to put Volkswagen on notice and to inform the public." - Janet McCabe. "Audi, which has been on a roll in terms of sales, reputation and image of late, now is being drawn deeper into the quagmire," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader. "Previously, only the low-volume A3 was under scrutiny, but now Audi's core models are under fire." Audi officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday. In a written statement issued late Monday afternoon, a Porsche spokesperson said, "We are surprised to learn this information. Until this notice, all our information was that the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is fully compliant." Porsche said it would cooperate with authorities.

New Audi Q5 refines original model's winning formula

The first Audi Q5 made a name for itself as a baby Q7, hitting a Goldilocks zone in the crossover segment and challenging BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus for supremacy in what would become one of the luxury market's most important segments. The Q5 is already Audi's best-selling vehicle globally, underscoring its importance to the German brand. Like its predecessor, the second-generation Q5 takes the Q7's looks and tech, then distills it into a smaller package. But unlike the Q7, the Q5 doesn't look quite so dowdy in its redesigned body. We'll attribute that to the smaller front and rear overhangs, which keep the Q5 looking like a crossover instead of a high-riding wagon. The face is mostly a carbon copy of the Q7's, with a prominent grille featuring a silver surround and flanked by a set of clean, stylish headlights. In back, the smaller Audi gets more expressive taillights that harken back to the first-generation model in their lighting signature. We aren't really sure what Audi was going for with its two-tier rear bumper, but it doesn't work and is inarguably the worst piece of an otherwise fashionable design. Aside from restyling the Q5's body, Audi managed to both expand it in every direction and trim nearly 200 pounds of body fat through a mix of "maximum tensile strength" steel and aluminum. Audi is also promising an impressive aerodynamics gain for the new body – the company's engineers slashed the coefficient of drag from 0.33 to 0.30. That should mean a quieter and more efficient drive. Like the Q7, the new Q5 benefits from Audi's push into advanced driver information systems. It gets the 12.3-inch TFT display, also known as Virtual Cockpit, on top of the 8.3-inch MMI display atop the center stack. MMI takes a page from Apple with its Personal Route Assist. Much as CarPlay will automatically display how long it takes you to get home, Audi's new system can study an owner's behavior and suggest the best route to a given spot, even when the navigation isn't active. While we're geeked about the new tech, the powertrain front is less newsy. The European press release lists one gas engine – a 252-horsepower 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder – and four TDI powertrains. Those latter engines are dead to the US, as Audi faces the backlash from parent company Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal.