2002 Audi Tt Quattro Base Convertible 2-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Audi Adaptive Cruise Control | 2017 Autoblog Technology of the Year Finalist

Not your father's cruise control, Audi's adaptive system is another step on the road to autonomous driving. That earns it a spot as one of our Technology of the Year finalists. Audi Adaptive Cruise Control can slow down or speed up your vehicle depending on the conditions. It's also capable of coming to a full stop and then resuming speed. This allows the vehicle to move with traffic without engagement from the driver using Traffic Jam Assist at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It's not being marketed as an auto-pilot setup. Rather, this system can increase driver safety by automatically braking as the vehicle in front slows and then accelerating once the path becomes clear. The cruise control has five programmable settings to regulate distance between vehicles. Linked with the navigation system, Audi's ACC suite uses a camera and radar to respond to its environment, a key development for future systems that will need to communicate with the grid. The system can read street signs, allowing it to slow down or speed up. Additionally, when a destination is set, the vehicle will automatically brake when a turn is looming to alert the driver he or she needs to take action. It will brake through the turn and then speed up upon completing the maneuver. We especially liked this, as many navigation systems don't inform the driver when to turn or take an exit until the last possible moment. Further, when navigating curves, the Audi system will brake the vehicle and resume speed as conditions require. This Adaptive Cruise Control is a layer of artificial intelligence we can get on board with. It's like having a co-pilot to assist the driver when the inevitable fatigue or distractions appear. It engages like a normal cruise control system. Simply pull the stalk in the steering wheel mount, and there's a button to modulate the distance. We tested Audi's Adaptive Cruise Control on an A4, where it is an $1,800-option as part of the Driver Assistance Package. Working in combination with Audi's Virtual Cockpit and head-up display, ACC provides the driver a sense of awareness and greater level of information than other systems on the road. Companies like Volvo and Porsche offer similar setups, but we like the intuitiveness of the Audi program. Automakers have been saying for years that the autonomous technology is essentially here, they just need the infrastructure and regulations to catch up.

We demo Audi's Traffic Jam Assistant tech on the road [w/video]

The closer automotive technology comes to making good on the promise of fully driverless vehicles, the better we see just what difficult work reaching that ultimate goal will become. That's because, unlike so many other in-car technologies that need only integration into a vehicle, truly autonomous cars will also insist on involvement with the surrounding environment, fellow motorists, infrastructure in cities and other communities and making it all work without exposing automakers to law-breaking or tremendous possible litigation. Clearly that isn't all about to happen in one go.
At CES in 2012, Audi told us about a debuting technology that would mark a significant step along the path towards self-driving cars: Traffic Jam Assistant. This year, the German automaker invited us out to Las Vegas to see the jam-busting technology in action, on a relatively busy freeway.
The Traffic Jam Assistant (we're pretty sure that name is still in Beta) promises to relieve drivers from the tedium of slow-moving freeways by taking care of braking, acceleration and staying inside of the lane - all with no input from the human behind the wheel. While still a fair step from truly autonomous driving, the goal here is to give a commuter some respite from the mechanical, time-wasting traffic jam paradigm, potentially opening up a space for productivity in the process. (Audi can't come right out and say that TJA will allow you to use your cell phone in traffic, as that's still against the law in many places, but something like that is clearly on the radar... er... LiDAR.)

New Audi design chief Massimo Frascella shaped cars for Jaguar Land Rover

At the Audi brand, style and design have long been a high priority; think the super sleek and sexy A7 sedan, the Bauhaus-inspired TT coupe, the single-frame grille that instantly identified the marque with its down-the-road graphics. So when the Bavarians install a new head of design, that’s also worth a look. Massimo Frascella is that person, a 52-year-old Italian designer who this summer will succeed Marc Lichte. Lichte ran Audi design since 2014 and will take up a new role within the Volkswagen Group. Frascella, a student at the Istituto d`Arte Applicata & Design in Turin, ignited his career at Stile Bertone, and his resume after that evolves impressively. He subsequently held positions at Ford Motor Company and Kia, and since 2011, Frascella has held senior positions at Jaguar Land Rover. He was responsible for the creation of several models: Discovery Vision Concept (2014), Discovery Sport (2014), Discovery (2016), Velar (2017), Evoque (2019) and Defender. In 2019 he became creative director of Land Rover and in 2020 design director. He was also instrumental in the development of the range of new electric Jaguars that are in the works. “Joining Audi is a very special moment for me,” Frascella said. “I am deeply honored to assume the role of chief creative officer and to guide such a talented team in shaping the future of the brand to new heights of innovation and distinction. I believe in the emotional power of design to inspire, connect, and drive change, and I am here to nurture and promote creativity as the beating heart of our brand.” Looking back a couple of decades, it was one of FrascellaÂ’s predecessors who helped to cement AudiÂ’s reputation in automobile design: Walter de Silva. De Silva was appointed head of Audi design in 2002. From 2007 to 2015, he supervised the design strategy for the entire Volkswagen group, including the TT, the Scirocco, the Passat and the Golf. Not a bad list of achievements, but in a interview several years ago, de Silva said that he considered the 2007 Audi A5 coupe the pinnacle of his automotive design art, citing its “sex appeal, the shape of the lights, the architecture.” Design/Style Audi Jaguar Land Rover Volkswagen Automotive History