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Audi Introduces Customizable Dashboard

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:06:32 +0000

These days just about everything is customizable – from your iPhone to your home computer. Even newer living room televisions have programmable screen savers. In the future (a not too distant one) you will be able to set up a personalized in-dash background for your Audi readouts.

Interface programmer Futuremark has created a fully 3-D and arrangeable customized dashboard, allowing you to select and move gauges, meters and add picture graphics to your vehicle’s dash. Now, instead of a blinking icon for your “Open Trunk” indicator you’ll actually see a graphic of your car with the trunk ajar. You can adjust the size or shape of speedometers and switch between radio and GPS views. The open sourced system will eventually be able to download external dash wallpapers provided by Futuremark, if searched out by the driver or occupants during non-driving times. Rumor has it you can expect to see the feature added to Audi SUV’s sometime soon.

Transporter 3 – Statham’s Audi A8 Returns For More Driving Fantasticness

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:39:58 +0000

Jason Statham is back as Ex-Special Forces member Frank Martin – and this time the package he has to deliver is extra sensitive, and the consequences include his own life – well, at least his right hand. With a sonic detonator strapped to his wrist, Martin needs to deliver his human cargo to their recipient or else he and his sexy Audi A8 will be blown to tiny bits. Fans of the first two Transporter features will love that original writers Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen have returned to pen this installment – so expect 90 minutes of insane automotive stunts, intense explosions, gunfire, sexual innuendo and Statham catapulting in and out of various windows or doorways. Check out Transporter 3′s trailer we have posted up in Audipedia’s video section.

Fans of Audi will love the A8 W-12 returning to the silver screen. “W-12″ combines two Audi V6 engine, along with a mix of special effects and top Audi technology, keeping this car in the air almost as much as it’s on the ground. Or, maybe just up on two wheels.

The Transporter has relocated to beautiful Paris in an attempt to stay low-key while running his illegal delivery service. “Low-key” – hard to do when your hobbies include driving into other cars and kickboxing armed thugs. We hope Audi and Statham continue to partner up in many sequels to come.

Audi Lowers Your Emissions, Saves You From Traffic Violations

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:53:39 +0000

Ever experience hitting a local stretch of highway the same time everyday? You ride it so well that you can pretty much time acceleration to pass every traffic light as it turns green – a pure test of driving patience and road awareness. Audi has taken this idea as the basis of their Travolution project. For two years Travolution has been in development in the auto maker’s home town of Ingolstadt, Germany. Through a communication network between stop lights and vehicles the flow of traffic can be balanced out. This will hopefully result in less stopping time, less braking, minimal idling and down-shifting, which are factors that can cut down fuel efficiency.

The Travolution system, which has already cost Audi R & D over one and a half million dollars, was tested at 46 traffic lights in a municipal area with A5 and A6 test vehicles. Communication devices mounted on the traffic lights contact the car and inform the driver through in-dash monitors at what speed they should travel to drive through the approaching intersection without stopping or slowing down too much.

Travolution is to be expanded by another 20 cars and 50 traffic lights to gather further research. This system can also be used to help commuters stay up-to-date information on congestion and other traffic information.

Photos from Audi & Worldcarfans

Audi’s Biodiesel Racer Wins Le Mans

admin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:01:58 +0000

You may see city buses or taxi cabs running on biodiesel in one form or another – but how about a race car? Not just any racer – a vehicle so technologically advanced that it can ride at max speed for 24 hours (almost) nonstop. Leave it to Audi’s automotive expertise to not only design such an automobile, but to have it take first place at 2008′s 24-Hours of Le Mans.

Audi’s R10 came in first with a mix of Shell V-Power Gas-To-Liquid diesel and a Biomass-to-Diesel fuel. What’s so special about the Biomass fuel? How about the face that it does not threaten any corn crops (won’t raise the price of pasta) and has a clean exhaust output. See, now green-loving purists can enjoy a 24-hour endurance race too!

Audi’s win did not come easy, biodiesel or not. France’s Peugeot racer followed behind in a close second for much of the later competition, as seen below. Keeping the drama high while bringing fossil fuel emissions to an all time low, that’s Audi’s goal, and they succeed at Le Mans.

photos by Robin Thompson via Jalopnik