12 A8 Quattro Awd Navigation Backup Camera Clean Carfax Like 2010 2011 2013 A8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2017 Audi R8 Spyder spotted completely uncamouflaged

We've seen the 2017 Audi R8 Spyder running the 'Ring a while back, and we've also seen a leaked planning document that seems to confirm the R8 Spyder is actually coming (as if seeing a prototype wasn't enough). Here's further unofficial confirmation: a completely uncovered, arrestingly yellow example of the breed. Unless it's been the subject of a clever badge-swap, this is a V10 model (as are all R8s at the moment), although rumors, leaked product roadmaps, and common sense point to a downsized engine offering in the near future. We think it'll be a V6, based on the fact that the R8 technical lead Roland Schala stated that a "V6 is a perfect engine for this car." Don't expect any drastic mechanical differences from the coupe, itself a close cousin of the Lamborghini Huracan. We thought the coupe was "murderously fast and sexy," while still being a tasteful, total driver's package; the Spyder should bring all that and some open air to the table. We should see the R8 Spyder's official reveal in a few months. Related Video:

Everybody's doing flying cars, so why aren't we soaring over traffic already?

"Where's my flying car?" has been the meme for impending technology that never materializes since before there were memes. And the trough of disillusionment for vehicles that can take to sky continues to nosedive, despite a nonstop fascination with flying cars and a recent rash of announcements about the technology, particularly from traditional automakers. Earlier this month, Toyota applied for an eye-popping patent for a flying car that has wheels with spring-loaded pop-out helicopter rotors. The patent filing says the wheels/rotors would be electrically powered, while in on-land mode the vehicle would have differential steering like tracked vehicles such as tanks and bulldozers. At an airshow in July, Aston Martin unveiled its Volante Vision Concept, an autonomous hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle it developed with Rolls-Royce. Aston says the Volante can fly at top speeds of around 200 mph and bills it as a luxury car for the skies. Audi used the Geneva Motor Show in March to unveil a flying car concept called the Pop.Up Next it developed with Airbus and Italdesign. If the Pop.Up Next, an electric and autonomous quadcopter/city car combo, gets stuck in traffic, an app can be used to summon an Airbus-developed drone to pick up the passenger compartment pod, leaving the chassis behind. Audi said that the Pop.Up Next is a "flexible on-demand concept that could open up mobility in the third dimension to people in cities." But Audi also acknowledged that at this point it has no plans to develop it. The cash-stoked, skies-the-limit Silicon Valley tech crowd is also bullish on flying cars. The startup Kitty Hawk that's backed by Google co-founder Larry Page announced in June that it's taking pre-orders for its single-seat electric Flyer that's powered by 10 propellers and is capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. The current version can only fly up to 20 mph and 10 feet in the air and has a flight time of just 12 to 20 minutes on a full charge. The Flyer is considered a recreational vehicle, so doesn't require a pilot's license. Uber says it plans to launch its more ambitious Elevate program and UberAIR service in 2023. "Uber customers will be able to push a button and get a flight on-demand with uberAIR in Dallas, Los Angeles and a third international market," Uber Elevate promises on its website.

Audi A8's active suspension will even protect you in a crash

Audi has revealed yet another system of the upcoming Audi A8 that uses the car's 48-volt electrical system. In addition to a fancy stop-start function, the A8 will have a suspension that can be actuated by electric motors. At each corner of the car is a separate motor connected to an arm that can press down or pull up on the suspension. These motors are controlled by a computer that monitors the road with a camera to determine how the motors should react to improve ride quality and handling. In the instance of some kind of bump or other road imperfection, the car can actively raise the wheel that would go over that bump, to prevent it from upsetting the ride. When going through a corner, the car can direct the motors on the outside to push up to reduce lean, and the motors on the inside to push down to keep the tires pressed to the road. The system can also help keep the car level when stopping and starting. There's yet one more feature of the suspension that is rather interesting. In the event the car detects an impending side-impact crash, it can raise up the side that will be hit, to protect the occupants. By raising up that side, the car increases the chance that more of the energy from the impact will be absorbed by the side rails and floor, which are stronger than the doors and pillars. This nifty new suspension, and the aforementioned start-stop system, will be found on the next-generation Audi A8, which will be officially revealed on July 11. If you can't wait for that, apparently the car has a cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming, which hits theaters on June 28. Related Video: Image Credit: Audi Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Luxury Videos Sedan 48-volt system