2012 Audi A6 3.0 Tfsi Quattro Prestige Navigation Blind Spot Assist Clean! on 2040-cars

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Audi pushing DOT to allow its sequential LED turn signals [w/videos]

Still in the process of trying to get its trick LED Matrix Beam headlights legalized in the US, Audi is now trying to get its front and rear sequential LED turn signals approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Just like its auto-dimming headlights, the sequentially illuminating turn signals don't meet NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.
The problem, according to Automotive News, is that the individual lighting elements are too small to meet current US safety regulations. The rule states that each lamp should be 22 square centimeters (8.6 square inches) and the whole lighted combined area must be 50 square centimeters (19.6 square inches). In the individual sequence, Audi's lights are much smaller than that. As for the Ford Mustang, which has had sequential turn signals since 2010, this system is legal since the first lens is large enough to meet the required size, so the other two lights really aren't even necessary.
It sounds like it could be some time before we see these turn signals on Audis in the US, which is a shame because in addition to their styling bebefuts, we think they're more effective at signaling the vehicle's intended direction of travel, and they do a better job of grabbing the eye. Scroll down to watch a pair of videos showing the headlights in action on the redesigned A8/S8 as well as the recently updated R8.

Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro TDI Quick Spin

The operating word is quiet. This refers both to the sound inside the cabin of the upcoming Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro TDI – even with the diesel engine running – and the company's public statements about its plan for this powertrain in the United States. Basically, while Europe is getting the diesel plug-in sometime next spring (a bit of a delay), all we know for sure right now is that the US will be getting the Q7 E-Tron, probably in 2018, and it will have either a 3.0-liter turbodiesel or 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine. You may now place your bets as to which one you think the public (or, more likely, CARB) will go for. We're guessing 2.0T. Despite not knowing if we'll ever see this E-Tron TDI on our side of the Atlantic, we recently spent an enjoyable morning tooling around the hills outside Madrid, Spain. As we said, this beast is seriously quiet, and impressively so. Driving Notes The Q7 is a big vehicle, but with powertrain that combines electric motors and diesel thrust, there's a ton of low-end torque. The official 0-62 time is 6.0 seconds, which is basically the same as the 6.1 seconds of the non-PHEV Q7. The Q7 E-Tron is about 500 pounds heavier than the already-4,700-pound Q7, but because of its trick powertrain, never felt sluggish in the hills of Spain. This Q7 E-Tron is a parallel hybrid, with the 3.0-liter TDI diesel engine and the 94-kW disc motor both able to drive the wheels. Overall, they provide 373 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Despite the parallel system, the not-quite-powerful-enough electric motor doesn't provide the complete electric drive experience that EV fans might be looking for. For example, the Q7 E-Tron has a top speed of 139.8 mph, but that's only in hybrid mode. In EV mode, its top speed is just 78 mph. Audi's Virtual Cockpit display, first seen in the TT, remains an ideal way to give you a wealth of information in an easy-to-see format. It's just as slick in the Q7, where you can toggle the size of the gauges and then pick what you want the screen to focus on, whether that's speed limits, infotainment information, powertrain usage, speed, or navigation.

SNL player Vanessa Bayer goes 50 Shades of Audi

Fifty Shades of Grey, the most unlikely Valentine's Day film ever, is opening over Valentine's Day Weekend. Casting directors gave Audi a number of plum assignments, the German carmaker landing the roles of A3, S7, S8, R8 V10 Spyder, and Q7. That part is not surprising. What is surprising is this most unlikely spoof that Audi of America worked up with Saturday Night Live cast member Vanessa Bayer, playing off that elevator scene in the film. After watching it, we felt like Audi looked at us and said, "Oh yeah, we just did that." It's not NSFW, but - like the movie it parodies - this is all about the adult content. We liked it. But would it be too much to say we didn't see this one coming? News Source: Audi of America via YouTube Humor TV/Movies Audi Videos saturday night live