2009 Audi Premium on 2040-cars

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Autoblog Podcast #394

Episode #394 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Michael Harley talk about the possibility of a supercharged Dodge Viper, the Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition, the newly released supercharger kit for the Honda CR-Z, and rumblings of an Alfa Romeo 6C. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #394: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Supercharged Viper Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition Honda CR-Z Supercharged Alfa Romeo 6C In The Autoblog Garage: 2014 Ford Fiesta SE 2015 Cadillac Escalade 2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro 2015 Audi A8 L TDI Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Michael Harley Runtime: 01:32:30 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Supercharged Viper - 44:25 Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition - 55:19 Supercharged Honda CR-Z - 01:00:52 Alfa Romeo 6C - 01:07:29 Q&A - 01:13:41 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes

Audi AI: an important step forward in autonomy

Those who have visions of reading a book or watching a movie while sitting in traffic, as you might do on an airplane, are closer than ever to reaching their own version of automotive nirvana. We're still not there, but Audi's latest A8 brings us right up to the precipice of actual autonomy that you can program to self-park in your garage. Audi says its new A8 will be the first vehicle to deliver Level 3 autonomy. That means the driver can take his or her hands off the steering wheel and stop paying attention, at least when a specific set of circumstances are met. First, Audi's AI traffic jam pilot only works at speeds of up to 37.3 miles per hour. In other words, it's meant for those times where you're sitting in traffic. Audi believes that the first commercially available self-driving applications will be relied on for circumstances when a driver's time is better spent elsewhere, like when you're in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway. Second, that freeway has to be a divided highway with a physical barrier from oncoming vehicles. A large swath of grass would work, as would a concrete wall. The new A8 uses radar, a front camera, ultrasonic sensors, and a laser scanner – the first in a production vehicle – to scan its surroundings. These various images are compiled by a central driver assistance controller that Audi calls zFAS. We'd have gone with Zaphod Beeblebrox, but nobody asked. Third, Audi needs the approval and cooperation of the various governments and authorities in which it sells the A8. "The statutory framework will need to be clarified in each individual market, along with the country-specific definition of the application and testing of the system," says Audi. Where does that leave the US? Audi isn't yet sure, but discussions are apparently under way. We're not exactly holding our breath. If all of those key circumstances are met, Audi's artificial intelligence system can be activated using the AI button on the center console. Audi will accept all legal responsibility when the car is driving itself. Starting, steering, acceleration, and braking are all taken over by the car, and the driver is free to perform other tasks. Theoretically, at least, because nobody outside of Audi has actually given the AI tech a spin. "As soon as the system reaches its limits," says Audi, it will hand driving duties back off to the driver.

2014 Audi RS7 is a 189-mph terror

If you have a burning desire to take yourself and four friends to 189 miles per hour, the 2014 Audi RS7 Sportback can help you out. The luxury hatchback bowed at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show today, complete with a 560-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine thrashing under the hood. Getting to 62 mph takes a shave under 3.9 seconds thanks in part to the 553 pound-feet of torque on hand from just 1,750 rpm. While the base car comes with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, customers can request the governor be removed by purchasing the dynamic package plus, upping the V-max to 189 mph.
Ludicrous? Sure, but Audi says the RS7 can also yield up to 25 mpg on the US scale. With a cylinder-on-demand system, the V8 can deactivate up to four cylinders by closing their valves. Once the driver gets frisky with the throttle, the engine automatically kicks from four-cylinder to eight-cylinder mode in a few hundredths of a second. The engine is bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which pushes power to all four wheels. You can read the full press release below for more information, but we think you'll have a better time viewing our live shots from the show floor..