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Elon Musk: Teslas will already know where we’re going

In the future, cars will drive us. And probably not surprisingly, they'll often know where to go without us even needing to tell them. That's the theme of a short back-and-forth conversation on Twitter recently between Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk and a user who tagged him in a comment suggesting that "it would be cool" to be able to tell a car where to go. Responding to user James Harvey, Musk replied, "It won't even need to ask you most of the time." Later, after Harvey asked how the car would know where he wants to go, another user suggested that the car would know what time you go to work. "Yeah, don't exactly need to be Sherlock Holmes," Musk tweeted. It won't even need to ask you most of the time — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2017 Yeah, don't exactly need to be Sherlock Holmes. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2017 That the ability to know where we're going will be part of our future driving experience shouldn't be surprising. After all, the smartphones we carry around already possess the ability to predict what we want — think Google's cleverness in tailoring search results or providing traffic information just before your commute, Facebook's highly customized News Feed content or even auto-fill technology, which can predict the words you're typing. And plenty of automakers have been touting their own work in developing in-car artificial intelligence systems. Like Audi's Elaine concept, which will be able to learn, think and even empathize with drivers. Or Mitsubishi's e-Evolution concept, which can not only assist your driving, but also assess your skills and teach you how to improve them. Tesla's vehicles, of course, are being outfitted with all the latest autonomous driver-assist technology, with the automaker eager to one day reach full Level 5 self-driving capability. According to Inc., Teslas will be able to listen and respond to directional commands, and they'll even have access to your calendar to comb for information about where you need to go. Tesla has also said it's developing an update to its Autopilot hardware and remains on track to achieve full Level 5 autonomous driving by the end of this year, which strikes a lot of people as wildly unrealistic. At any rate, the promise of cars knowing what time we're sneaking out to get donuts or picking up the kids is interesting, coming from the man who has warned that AI presents "a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization."Related Video:

Audi confirms S8 Plus for US to debut in LA

Audi has confirmed that the new S8 Plus will indeed be coming to North America. The more potent version of the German automaker's flagship sedan was first revealed in August, and Audi will bring it to the upcoming Los Angeles auto show. The Plus model packs the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as the existing S8 (and the Bentley Continental for that matter), but increases output from 520 horsepower to 605 hp and torque from 481 pound-feet to 516 lb-ft (or 553 on overboost). The result is a 0-62 time quoted at 3.8 seconds to give the likes of the Mercedes-AMG S63, Jaguar XJR, and Maserati Quattroporte a run for their money. Audi of America has not announced US pricing for the S8 Plus or final specifications for the American market. Look for an MSRP in the neighborhood of $140k. The Audi S8 Plus will debut in LA alongside the new RS7 Performance and the second-generation R8, which will be making its US auto show debut at the SoCal expo. TRIO OF AUDI SPORT® AND PERFORMANCE MODELS TO MAKE US DEBUT AT LA AUTO SHOW – AUDI R8, RS 7 PERFORMANCE AND S8 PLUS - The second generation of the R8 high-performance halo car makes its U.S. auto show debut - Auto show debut of new RS 7 performance enhances brand's dynamic profile - S8 plus strengthens Audi's position in premium sedan segment November 10, 2015 | HERNDON, Virginia -- Reinforcing the brand's success from road to track, Audi will showcase a trio of new performance vehicles – including the all-new R8, RS 7 performance and S8 plus – at the Los Angeles Auto Show. "The Audi Sport® and performance models have always been an essential part of our brand's character," said Filip Brabec, Director of Product Management for Audi of America. "The Audi R8, RS 7 performance and S8 plus represent the maximum of Audi performance, premium design and technology for our customers." 2017 Audi R8 The fastest and most powerful Audi of all time, the 2017 R8 represents the pinnacle of performance for any model with the four rings. Thanks to the close cooperation between Audi Sport® engineers, race drivers and developers, the Audi R8 and R8 LMS racecar were co-developed and share approximately 50 percent of the same parts, including the V10 engine. The R8 launches with two powertrain variants: the 5.2L V10 with 540 hp, an increase of 15 hp from the previous R8 model or the R8 V10 Plus, boasting a powerful 610 hp, an increase of 60 hp, making it faster, more powerful and more dynamic than its predecessor.

Watch the Le Mans Audi R8 safety car drift during red flag

With open-wheel, prototype, and GT cars so dependent on keeping their tires warm, European series enlist much higher-performance cars than the family sedans that pace the NASCAR field. That also means their drivers need to know their way around a race track. Yannick Dalmas, the driver of the 24 Hours of Le Mans' Audi R8 safety car, proved that point during heavy rains yesterday. The four-time Le Mans champ and former F1 driver had a bit of a moment during the red flag. We don't know if Dalmas was having a bit of fun or genuinely getting out of trouble on the deluged track, but cameras caught him executing an lurid drift that will probably end up in an Audi commercial in the near future. It's hard to tell what section of the track Dalmas went drifting at – it's pitch black in the video – but based on the downward, right-hand bend, we're guessing it was between Tertre Rouge and the start-finish line, maybe in the Esses. You can see the big moment in the video, which generated plenty of cheers from the red-flagged racers and their pit crews. Stick around for the end of the video for Porsche driver Mark Webber's impressed reaction. Related Video: News Source: TheGamingCouple via YouTube Motorsports Audi Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Videos circuit de la sarthe