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Audi A8 could spawn Mercedes-Maybach S600 rival

Five years ago, there was no middle ground for big luxury sedans. You either bought a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8, or BMW 7 Series, or you spent $225K on a twelve-cylinder Bentley Continental Flying Spur. But today, the market is changing. Bentley sells a V8-powered Flying Spur for around $200,000 and Mercedes is successfully selling a longer, twelve-cylinder, ultra-lux S-Class for $190,000. The middle ground is growing, and Audi wants in on the action. Audi is looking closely at the Mercedes-Maybach S600, according to Dr. Stefan Knirsch, the company's new technical leader. The company recently introduced a one-off A8 limo, shown above, although we'd imagine an S600 rival would be a more manageable size. "We are thinking about it," Knirsch told AutoExpress at the launch of the new SQ7. "The success of the extra-long version of the S-Class has got us wondering about whether there could be a business case for that in the future." Knirsch's comments raise a number of questions about a potential ultra-lux A8. Would it be longer than the A8L? The extra backseat space is a key part of the Maybach S600's appeal. What about the badge? Audi doesn't have a nameplate to rival Maybach to distinguish such an exclusive A8 from its more affordable siblings. Will the Audi offer more or fewer shades of black/silver than the S600? But the biggest question is what a bigger, more luxurious A8 could mean for the rest of the A8 range. As AE explains, Mercedes has done a remarkable job of fleshing out the S-Class range, with the normal sedan, Maybach, Coupe, Cabriolet, and their accompanying AMG variants. The Maybach S600 started that process – could an extra-large competitor kickstart Audi's full-size luxury expansion? The A8 has long been subject to gossip that it'd spawn an A9 Coupe (2014's Prologue Concept only fed that particular rumor mill), after all. Beyond hinting at a more luxurious A8, Knirsch expounded on another piece of exciting news: the next A8 will get Level 3 automation. That would mean full driverless ability "with the expectation that the human driver will respond appropriately to a request to intervene," according to the SAE's official definition. While Audi confirmed last year that the A8 could drive itself at speeds up to 37 miles per hour, Knirsch's more specific comments make it sound like the system could be even more advanced than originally thought. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Audi Q5 EV built in Mexico, Tesla's $1.26B expansion

Audi will build an electric version of its Q5 in Mexico, according to anonymous sources close to the matter. Audi plans to shift all Q5 manufacturing to its $1.3 billion factory in San Jose Chiapa, which is set to open this fall. Initially, the company will build internal-combustion Q5s at the plant, with an electric version to be introduced in the near future. One source tells Automotive News Europe that Audi is currently training personnel ahead of the facility's opening. The Q5 is currently built in Ingolstadt, Germany, with some being assembled in China and India for sale in those markets. Read more from Automotive News Europe. Tesla is applying for $106 million in tax breaks as it expands its Fremont factory to the tune of $1.26 billion. The expansion comes as the electric automaker looks to accelerate production in order to meet demand for the upcoming Model 3 sedan, and the buildout will include a new production line dedicated to the model. Tesla plans to ramp up production to 500,000 units a year in 2018, though Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Fremont factory could potentially build a million cars annually. Read more at Electrek. Formula E is partnering with the sports charity StreetGames to help bring sports opportunities to disadvantaged communities. DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird, who is currently in third place in the 2015/2016 season's driver standings, will head to his hometown to join Roehampton FC for a soccer tournament on June 27. "If I hadn't been a racing driver, I'd like to think I could have had a career as a professional footballer," Bird says, "so I might be able to give them a few hints and tips on ball control as well as explaining car control!" StreetGames will also be represented at the London ePrix with sports activities for attendees. Read more from Formula E. Related Video: Featured Gallery Tesla Model 3 View 18 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Audi Q5 TDI View 28 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe, Electrek, Formula E Government/Legal Green Motorsports Plants/Manufacturing Audi Tesla Green Automakers Electric recharge wrapup

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.