Audi build 'Wi-Fi enabled' car

The Audi A8

Andrew Gilbert, an executive vice president at chip maker Qualcomm, said the car would provide a "bubble of connectivity" for travellers, allowing them to access web-based services at high speeds on the go.

The Audi A8 will feature the Mobile Media Interface Plus in-car navigation system, which will act as a mobile "hotspot", enabling passengers to connect Wi-Fi enabled devices to the internet. The sat-nav also has Google Earth built in to it, providing driers with high-resolution, three-dimensional satellite imagery. Audi said that the system, when combined with a street atlas and other online content, can provide real-time route planning, location-specific points of interest or local restaurant reviews, as well as up-to-the-minute traffic information.

Audi A8, GMC Granite Concept Get EyesOn Design Prizes

2011 Audi A8 Picture

Audi A8's EyesOn award for best production-car design at the Detroit show was accepted by Wolfgang Egger, head of design for Audi and Lamborghini.

2011 Audi A8 Will Feature Google Maps Connectivity

When the next-generation Audi A8 launches in 2010, the car’s MMI navigation system will feature the first in-car connection to Google Maps. With the connection, drivers will be able to search for points of interest like “deli” or “movie theater” and get directions to the nearest such locations. You can also choose destinations online via Google Maps or a special Audi website, and then retrieve them from the car’s navigation system.

Later in the year, the MMI system will also be able to stream real-time imagery from Google Earth. That means drivers can see 3D aerial photos on the A8’s navigation screen. Streets and directions will be overlaid on the Google Earth images. The map data is downloaded over cell phones connected to the navigation system with Bluetooth.

Audi A7 confirmed for U.S.

2011 Audi A8
At last week's tony Design Miami reveal of the 2011 A8 luxury cruiser, we were able to corner Johan de Nysschen, Audi's executive vice president in North America, and ask him for some tasty tibits on the brand's upcoming products, including the A8's sexier derivative, the A7.

In addition to giving us the first official confirmation of the A7's existence, de Nysschen revealed that the four-door coupe model will slot in "a little bit below" the new A8 in terms of pricing, just as we expected. Of course, it's worth noting that the 2011 A8 faces a price bump due to substantial increases in content and technology, so when the A7 finally comes to the States, the average model is likely to sticker at around $82,000-$83,000, which de Nysschen says is about the price for a typically equipped 2010 A8 (pricing starts at $74,550 plus delivery).

Based on Audi's new longitudinal modular platform technology, the A7 will be clearly related to the A8 (and the A6 replacement that will follow it), and de Nysschen says that the 2009 Detroit Auto Show Sportback concept car serves as a "very reliable indicator" of what the production model will look like. Judging by recent spy shots from our friends at KGP, that very much appears to be the case. While parts commonality will be "substantial," de Nysschen says that the A7 will not use the full aluminum spaceframe design of the A8, although it will have aluminum elements.

As expected, the A8 will launch Stateside in both standard and long-wheelbase formats, with the latter predicted to make up the lion's share of the volume (the A8L presently accounts for about 80 percent of the model's sales).

Preview: 2011 Audi A8

Just before the LA Auto Show, Audi introduced the redesign of its flagship A8 in Florida. The new A8 is two inches longer and wider than the old base model. A stretched L version will arrive in about a year. It uses a similar all-aluminum space frame as before.

Despite the physical change, the new car isn’t revolutionary, but it is awash in new high-tech features. For instance, it has a standard navigation system that allows destination inputs by writing words and letters on a touch pad with your finger. Other notables include the first full-LED headlight system and adaptive cruise control that integrates traffic data from the navigation system. Like other recent Audis, the door handles become a contemporary pull-type rather than a lift up type.

The A8’s direct-injected V8 has 22 additional horsepower (for 372 total), and it is mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission for better fuel economy. (The outgoing A8L returned 17 mpg overall in our tests.) Standard equipment includes all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension, pre-collision avoidance system, and a lengthy roster of power amenities.

The A8 can be further outfitted with radar-guided cruise control, rear collision sensor, and lane-change warnings. With these systems, if the driver fails to slow down when approaching an obstacle, the A8 will sound an alarm. If there’s still no response, it will vibrate the steering wheel and begin to apply the brakes.

The 2011 A8 goes on sale around the end of 2010.

New 2011 Audi A8 spied

The upcoming Audi A8 (2011 model year) was recently spied on in full camouflage. With a date set later this year to reveal the new Audi A8, it is expected to be 10cm longer than the current model. The new A8 will use more weight-saving materials and incorporate more fuel efficient engines.

The new Audi A8 will rival against the Lexus LS, BMW 7-series and Mercedes-Benz S-class. The range of engines will include a 3.0-liter and 4.2-liter V8.