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More details on next Audi A4 mooted, including PHEV

With just under two more years until the next-gen Audi A4 hits the streets, it's not surprising that details are starting to leak out. The Brits from Autocar are reporting some information on the 2015 A4, although it isn't clear where any of it came from.
The most substantial news might be in regards to the plug-in hybrid version of the car. We've known for a couple years now that an A4 PHEV was being planned, but the report indicates that a trio of plug-in configurations are being planned, equipped with a 2.0-liter gas engine, a 2.0-liter diesel engine or a 3.0-liter supercharged V6. All engines will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the A4 plug-in is said to have an all-electric range of up to 31 miles.
In terms of styling, the next A4 shouldn't stray too far away from Audi's current design language, but it will introduce a new version of the automaker's signature grille. Despite being about the same size as the existing A4, the fifth-generation model will drop some pounds thanks to various weight-saving techniques with the most obvious being aluminum body panels. Based on this info, we should see the A4 sedan and wagon in April 2015, an Allroad later in the year and a redesigned A5 lineup hitting the scene in 2016.

Justin Bell laps Willow Springs... in the dark... using only night vision

Night vision has made its way into quite a few luxury cars as a night-driving safety feature, but eBay Motors wanted to see if the technology could be used to actually drive the car. Former racer and World's Faster Car Show host Justin Bell grabbed the keys to an Audi A7 and headed to Willow Springs Raceway to find out.
As if driving in the dark of the desert night wasn't hard enough, the car's windshield and side windows were blacked out, so Bell's driving relied completely on the three-inch night vision display located in the gauge cluster. In addition to navigating the track, his producers also threw in a few surprises for Bell on the track. We don't want to spoil too much for you, but based on the speeds exhibited in the video, we don't think 24-hour endurance races will be adding this tech any time soon; that being said, he probably drove the car faster and better than we could have.
Scroll down to watch how Bell does lapping the track using only the car's night vision.

Audi bringing matrix 'organic' LED concept to Frankfurt

Audi has announced that it's bringing a new concept to the upcoming Frankfurt motor show in September, and now it is teasing the taillights. They adopt organic light-emitting diode technology, which takes advantage of several benefits. For one, it uses a relatively low amount of electricity, between three and four volts. It's also incredibly thin, made up of two layers, each less than a thousandth of a millimeter thick. It casts no shadows, requires no reflectors or any other elements, and emits very little heat. Plus the lights can be formed into different shapes, opening up new possibilities for designers. This isn't the first time we've seen Audi focus on lighting technology, and in recent years it's showcased matrix LED and matrix laser headlights. The company runs through the history of the evolution of its lighting tech in the video above. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out what the team from Ingolstadt will be putting these new taillights on. Audi presents latest lighting technology at the IAA in Frankfurt - Matrix OLED technology makes its debut in a concept car at the IAA - Light attains a new level of homogeneity - Flat light sources open up new design possibilities Audi is presenting its next step in automotive lighting technology at the IAA in Frankfurt. The new Matrix OLED lights enable a previously unattainable level of lighting homogeneity, opening up further creative opportunities for design. As the leading brand in automotive lighting technology, Audi has systematically developed all aspects of OLED technology over the years. Matrix OLED lights combine high-tech engineering and design ideally – initial projects are currently underway to implement OLED technology in production tail lights. They are being shown for the first time in a concept car at the IAA. OLED is an English acronym for "organic light emitting diode." In each OLED unit, two electrodes – of which at least one must be transparent – incorporate numerous thin layers of organic semiconductor materials. A low DC voltage – between three and four volts – activates the layers, each of which is less than one-thousandth of a millimeter thick, to light them. The color is based on the molecular composition of the light source. In contrast to point light sources – such as LEDs – which are made of semiconductor crystals, OLEDs are flat light sources. Their light attains a new level of homogeneity, and its dimming is continuously variable.