following the success of the eKurzinfo app for the AUDI A1, the autmotive company wanted to extend this feature to their new AUDI A3. they employed metaio--a world leader in augmented reality (AR) research and technology--to develop an app targeted at virtually enhancing the printed user's manual for the vehicle. the updated program recognizes more than 300 individual elements of the AUDI A3--from small details such as the insignia on the windshield wipers, to the mechanics of the car, like the actual engine components positioned under the hood--offering relevant how-to information, and overlays of maintenance instructions which are animated in 3-D, in real-time.
the AUDI eKurzinfo app runs on metaio's most updated 2-D and 3-D augmented reality tracking technology, in which a user simply positions the camera of their mobile device over the particular part of the car which they are concerned about. the app automatically detects it, and sends through information on that subject. the the app functions on a cloud-based architecture which delivers digital information directly to one's device, meaning that they will never need to update the app.
the AUDI eKurzinfo app can be downloaded for free and is available in english, german and japanese.
the AUDI augmented reality app offers real-time information about more than 300 of the vehicle's components
metaio is also responsible for the augmented reality app developed for the 2014 IKEA catalogue, which virtually places the swedish manufacturer's products into your home, so you can decide whether or not it fits into your decor. see more about the app on designboom here.
AUDI A3 eKurzinfo augmented reality app - how it works video courtesy of AUDI deutschland
The Audi R8 has always been a starter supercar, a toe into the high-g waters. It doesn’t wear an exotic badge, and it won’t trigger too many adverse assumptions about your manhood. Other supercars are riskier, wilder, more dangerous, less defensible. They test you by draining their batteries while at rest in the garage. They demand that you regularly remove the engines for new spark plugs. Just how invested are you in the whole supercar lifestyle, anyway? Do you even own an Ed Hardy shirt?
Indeed, most supercar owners are more like zookeepers than drivers. Actually driving one is the rare reward for all the feeding, protecting, and preening. The R8 isn’t like that, though. For all of its lofty performance and aluminum construction, it behaves pretty much like a normal Audi. Lovers of Italian metal often find the R8’s restraint a shortcoming. We don’t.
For 2014, the R8 V-10 gains a new Plus model. Not to be confused with the ladies in a Lane Bryant ad, Plus here refers to the extra 25 horsepower that Audi coaxed from the 5.2-liter V-10. Basically, it’s the Lamborghini-grade unit found in the Gallardo LP560-4. Firmer springs and dampers, inspired by the rarely-seen-outside-captivity R8 GT, are seriously stiff, bordering on annoyingly bouncy. We’d much rather live with the standard R8’s supple magnetic shocks.
But the biggest change is the newly available seven-speed dual-clutch automatic called S tronic. A $7800 option on all R8s, it replaces the clunky automated-manual transmission known as the R tronic. With the S, part-throttle upshifts are free of any twitchiness, giving the auto R8 the manners to live in traffic. For maximum acceleration, the S tronic offers launch control that holds the engine at 4500 rpm before engaging the first-gear clutch. The R8’s owner’s manual suggests finding a clear, empty road before using launch control, as it might cause unwanted attention. Good advice. Accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds with the quarter-mile passing in 11.4 seconds at 126 mph certainly got our attention. That’s two-tenths quicker to 60 and in the quarter than the525-hp R8 R tronic we previously tested.
Left: It’s a grand ol’ time when all the womenfolk of Neckarsulm, Germany, gather to do the quilting on freshly born R8s.
The Plus versions also get standard carbon-ceramic brakes. A bit grabby at first, the brakes felt considerably better after a few 148-foot stops from 70 mph. Audi claims that all the Plus’s neat-looking carbon-fiber trim inside and out isn’t just there for peacocking; it actually saves weight. On the scales, our dual-clutch example weighed in at 3689 pounds, 66 less than that last automated-manual R8 V-10.
Other changes for 2014 include front and rear LED lights, a revised grille design, and round exhaust tips. Our Plus arrived with the $5000 full-cowhide interior and cross-stitched seats. Aside from the harsh ride, the Plus has a thick veneer of luxury that is commensurate with its $174,795 base price. Choosing the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic Plus model will set you back at least $182,595; a regular-issue V-10 starts at $155,450.
As the rational supercar, the R8 provokes rational thoughts. Thoughts such as: Are Plus models really worth the extra $19,345? Extra horsepower is good, and so is reduced mass, but the ride is tiring. Hmm. A 525-hp R8 is still seriously quick. When you nail it, discerning a Plus from a non-Plus will be like trying to tell if you’ve been smacked in the head with a 3-iron or a 4-iron.
While we dearly love this aluminum bolide, the Plus version strikes us as the least logical version of the world’s most logical supercar. View Photo Gallery
Identical or otherwise, twins tend to find a way to separate themselves. Romulus killed Remus. One of the Sklar brothers wears glasses. Mary-Kate Olsen has a hyphenated first name. Until now, the Audi S5 coupe had a V-8, and the S5 cabriolet was the one with the blown V-6.
For 2013, though, the S5 coupe will trade its 4.2-liter V-8 for the same 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 that the S5 cabriolet has had all along. Now you’ll have to rely on roof rigidity to tell them apart.
A Tale of Two Cylinders
That means no more delicious V-8 growl for the hardtop. The soundtrack has traded bwahs for various bvvvms, the latter being most prevalent when paired with the S tronic dual-clutch automatic. And the V-6—also shared with the S4 sedan, among others—has slightly lower output: 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque compared with the eight’s 354 hp and, well, 325 lb-ft. In trade for that offering to the power gods, the super’d six provides its full complement of torque earlier in the rev range, at 2900 rpm versus 3500 for the V-8. The engines, both of them nice pieces that rarely inspire complaint, are nevertheless different in character. The smaller engine somehow makes the car seem smaller than did the V-8, less like a muscle car and more, well, German.
In ditching two cylinders, Audi was nice enough to retain the V-8’s manual option for us, which is one way the twins remain different. The S tronic is the only transmission available in the cabrio here, and in Germany it’s the only one in both S5s. We drove a coupe equipped with the automatic and found the transmission to be well matched to the V-6 in drive or sport, although manual operation was less satisfying. Calls for lower gears occasionally elicited delayed responses, and the transmission didn’t like multiple downshift requests at once. What it lacked in direct controllability, though, it more than made up for in smoothness, and shifts were quick once initiated.
Steering Clearer
Audi has also switched the steering gear for 2013—as it did on all A5s and S5s—going from hydraulic to a more efficient electromechanical system. It’s the same one used on the A6 and A7. Whereas some manufacturers have had trouble tuning such systems, it appears Audi has managed to improve on the S5’s old setup and fine-tune the overall feel.
On cars with the optional dynamic steering system, which varies the ratio based on speed, buyers can spec the newly available active-lane-keeping system. It has two levels of interference—early or late—that determine when and how violently the car uses the electromechanical steering to wrest directional control from the driver. The early setting worked frighteningly well during a short interlude of hands-free driving, the wheel twitching back and forth on its own as the car corrected its course.
The S5’s standard suspension has been adjusted slightly, with revisions to damper tuning and the rear trailing arms. Without a previous model on hand for comparison and with only a brief drive on smooth Andalusian roads, we couldn’t discern much of a change for better or worse.
Corporate Face, Refreshed
The 2013 face lift only accentuates the car’s seductive look—sort of a hot robot—while bringing it in line with Audi’s recent sedans. New, sharp-edged headlights accompany a more-tapered grille set in a more-aggressive fascia. And no mid-cycle Audi refresh would be complete without a set of LED taillights and a new rear fascia.
The interior is likewise updated, but more subtly. New steering wheels with gloss-black accents are borrowed from Audi’s big sedans. The car is equipped with the latest version of MMI and can now be optioned with Google Earth overlays for the navigation system.
Audi’s updated S5 coupe and its sibling will be available here by June 2012 as 2013 models. We don’t expect a big price increase—or a discount for the loss of two cylinders—and estimate that the fixed-roof S5’s base sticker will be close to $57,000. Those who prize cylinder count will have to find a used example. Or, better yet, wait until June when its evil twin, the RS5, hits our shores—with a considerably higher price.View Photo Gallery
Audi models equipped with MMI® Navigation plus can wirelessly link to BLUETOOTH®-enabled mobile phones and audio devices, giving you hands-free access to many of their functions.
An overview of Audi MMI®
The Audi MMI® (Multi Media Interface) system was created to streamline the controls for audio, vehicle settings, and available navigation under a common interface, thereby reducing the number of buttons for a cleaner interior appearance. Though specific features vary between models, the MMI® system in every Audi consists of a central dial, four soft keys, and dedicated buttons for each general function.
De 25 juin au 31 août 2013, bénéficiez d'un taux de leasing spécial à partir de 2,9% (pour une durée de contrat de 12 à 36 mois; taux de leasing de 3,9% pour une durée de 37 à 48 mois) valable sur tous les modèles Audi A1, A3, A4, A5, Q3 et Q5 (hormis les modèles Audi RS Q3 et Audi SQ5 TDI).
Cette offre est valable pour les véhicules de stock et les commandes de véhicules neufs.
Financement par AMAG LEASING SA: p. ex. Audi A1 admired 1.2 TFSI, consommation mixte 5,1 l/100 km, émissions de CO2 118 g/km (moyenne de tous les véhicules neufs vendus: 153 g/km), catégorie de rendement énergétique: C. Taux d’intérêt annuel effectif 2,94%, durée 36 mois (10 000 km/an), CHF 22 270.–, Bonus Euro de 13% inclus. Le Bonus Euro est calculé sur le prix catalogue de base de CHF 22 950.–. Acompte (non obligatoire) 20% CHF 4 454.–, mensualité de leasing CHF 229.95, casco complète obligatoire non comprise. L’octroi du crédit est interdit s’il entraîne un surendettement du consommateur. Le Bonus Euro est valable jusqu’à révocation. Sous réserve de modifications. Prix TVA incluse.
L’action est valable du 25 juin au 31 août 2013, sur les modèles Audi A1, A3, A4, A5, Q3 et Q5 (hormis les modèles Audi RS Q3 et Audi SQ5 TDI).
Financement par AMAG LEASING SA: p. ex. Audi A3 Attraction 1.2 TFSI, consommation mixte 4,9 l/100 km, émissions de CO2 114 g/km (moyenne de tous les véhicules neufs vendus: 153 g/km), catégorie de rendement énergétique: B. Taux d’intérêt annuel effectif 3,97%, durée 48 mois (10 000 km/an), CHF 27 120.–, Bonus Euro de 9% inclus. Le Bonus Euro est calculé sur le prix catalogue de base de CHF 29 800.–. Acompte (non obligatoire) 20% CHF 5 424.–, mensualité de leasing CHF 269.95, casco complète obligatoire non comprise. L’octroi du crédit est interdit s’il entraîne un surendettement du consommateur. Le Bonus Euro est valable jusqu’à révocation. Sous réserve de modifications. Prix TVA incluse.
L’action est valable du 25 juin au 31 août 2013, sur les modèles Audi A1, A3, A4, A5, Q3 et Q5 (hormis les modèles Audi RS Q3 et Audi SQ5 TDI).
The following video will help you learn how to install and use Audi connect®, a key feature of the MMI® Navigation plus system that enables in-car Internet connectivity.
Google Maps offers the option of viewing detailed information about businesses and key landmarks, allowing you to explore your destination before the journey begins.
By breaking down locations by category, Google's Point of Interest Search helps you more quickly find a destination, either in your current vicinity or an area of your choosing.
