2007 Audi A3 Base Hatchback 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Audi's CES interior concept foretells a screen-filled A8

Audi is once again offering a glimpse into its future interior-design plans at CES. The new setup is called Virtual Dashboard and is both an extension and an evolution of Virtual Cockpit, which made its debut in Vegas two years ago before winding up in the TT. While this interior mockup is pulled from Audi's recent E-Tron Quattro concept, our man on the ground at CES was told this is "very close" to the interior we'll see in the next Audi A8, which is due in a year or so. Virtual Dashboard is screen-heavy in stark contrast to Virtual Cockpit's single, driver-focussed gauge display. It keeps that and adds a pair of screens to the mix, all of them using OLED (organic light-emitting diode) tech. The central screen measures 14.1 inches diagonally and is curved with a rhomboid border; its AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) allows for the irregular shape and curvature. Below that sits a more normal, rectangular screen; both are very well integrated into their surroundings. And as in many current Audis, the shift lever acts as a comfy wrist rest. On the top screen, drivers and passengers get what Audi calls classic information – navigation, audio, settings. The lower screen provides big favorite buttons and also houses on-screen buttons for the climate control. When it's called for, the lower display turns into an input tablet for handwritten entries, an evolution of the small separate touchpad offered in current Audis. The displays use swiping and other gestures familiar to smartphone users, which allow them to interact with each other, for example when swiping to accept a call and move its info to the gauge display. The screens provide haptic feedback that goes beyond what automakers are offering today. Our man at CES says button presses only result from deliberate presses of the screen, meaning you can rest a finger over your selection and it won't activate until you press, just like a real button. Novel. The steering-wheel controls also provide haptic feedback and have been simplified compared to what's on Virtual Cockpit today. When it hits production in the A8 and other vehicles, all of this will be built on the next generation of Audi's infotainment platform, which it's creatively calling MIB2+. It offers more computing power than the current MIB2 system, allowing it to run more displays and offer more connected services over an LTE connection.

Audi reveals virtual reality 'dealership in a briefcase'

Virtual reality still seems like technology that should be lumped in with the flying car and colonizing the moon as the sort of perennially "almost-here" Next Big Thing that never quite arrives. However, devices like gaming's Oculus Rift suggests that it's too soon to write off VR just yet, and Audi apparently agrees. The heart of its new VR Experience is a headset that customers wear that lets them see a virtual car before their eyes. Using the technology, the potential buyer can sit behind the wheel or open up the trunk. A camera tracks their head movements and adjusts the image on the goggles accordingly. To make the whole experience even more immersive, headphones let them hear the sound of the door or listen to the radio. The German automaker claims that the VR Experience technology will be available in "dynamic growth markets" by the end of 2015. The system will essentially offer the entire dealership experience in a device the size of a briefcase, and it'll be possible to view every possible equipment combination and color on all of the brand's models. The immersive hardware sounds amazing, if it's as good as the automaker claims. Among other things, VR will allow buyers to pick out just the right color and trim, even if the dealer doesn't have that specific combo in stock. Read below for Audi's announcement of this sci-fi gadget that the company claims is on the way. Audi VR experience: the dealership in a briefcase Innovative virtual reality headset extends advisory service at Audi dealers Sales chief Luca de Meo: "Further proof of Audi's pioneering role in sphere of digitization" First Audi dealerships to introduce new sales tool by end of 2015 Audi is taking the next big step in integrating digital technologies into automotive retail: The Audi VR experience gives customers the opportunity to configure their preferred car at the dealership through virtual reality headsets and experience it in a unprecedentedly realistic way. The headset showcases the entire model portfolio of the four rings, including all possible equipment combinations. Audi has become the first automotive manufacturer to develop a dedicated retail software solution for virtual reality headsets.

Essentially sporty | 2017 Audi A4 Quattro Quick Spin

Two boxes checked on the options list set our long-term Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Prestige apart, dynamically, from the rest. One is the Sport Package, and namely the sport suspension with its lowered ride height. The other is the 19-inch wheel package, which includes 245/35 summer tires. The A4's sport suspension is taut without being rough. The car feels as though it's gliding over the road, but some of the chop makes its way into the cabin. It mostly isn't bothersome, but you can feel – and especially hear – any larger imperfections you happen to hit with one the tires. Our car's 19-inch wheels, with their low sidewalls, amplified the potholes, too. Largely, though, it's comfortable and supremely smooth if the road's not all torn to heck. The sport suspension does an excellent job of eliminating squat and dive, and side-to-side body roll, which aids comfort. That ride makes for really smooth sailing in your daily driving duties, especially since the rest of the car feels so civil. The transmission works smoothly and seamlessly in the background in automatic mode. We do notice some of the gear changes if only because we're tuned into how impressively smooth and quick they are. On its own, the transmission tends to shift low in the rev range so you don't get a lot of engine noise with normal driving. We know that there's some athleticism hiding under this car's preppy facade when we look down at the speedometer and realize we're going quite a bit faster than it feels. It's so well composed, though, that we'd be perfectly okay with putting our grandmother in the passenger seat without feeling like we were going to freak her out if we were to happen to exceed the posted speed limit. But after dropping Grandma off, it's time to put the car into Dynamic mode (tightening up steering and ramping up the throttle behavior) and switch the gear lever from D to S. Using the paddle shifters on the Our personality and that of the car changed, becoming more aggressive. back of the steering wheel, the A4 transforms into a truly engaging driving machine. It shifts very quickly, and the sound of the engine becomes more noticeable in part because you can rev it higher, but also because you're more tuned into it. Upshifts and downshifts happen in an instant, to help make full use of engine's sweet spots.