Although the second half of the Bundesliga season has already started, the German record-breaking footballers took time out of their schedule to meet the luxury car manufacturer for an event dubbed ‘FC Bayern meets Audi e-tron’. Audi's first fully electric series model will be launched on the European market over the coming weeks with the FC Bayern stars among the first to get to test drive the car in advance.

‘Audi has had a close partnership with FC Bayern since 2002. Both Audi and FC Bayern stand for innovation, technology and sustainable development – as does the Audi e-tron’, says Thomas Glas, Head of Sports Marketing at AUDI AG. ‘This one-off event at Munich Airport was the perfect opportunity to introduce the e-tron and the innovative technologies behind it to the team before it becomes a permanent part of our customers’ daily lives.’

The luxury car manufacturer used the multi-storey Audi e-tron Meteorit located at Munich Airport in the grounds between Terminals 1 and 2 for the event. As part of the set-up, the team took part in various e-tron-themed activitiesfollowing a group picture. The players showed off their skills by taking part in an e-scooter obstacle course and a remote-controlled e-tron model car competition. They also undertook driver training in e-tron vehicles at the dynamic Audi Training Center at Munich Airport.

The Audi e-tron Meteorit will remain open to visitors until mid-March and car enthusiasts can test drive the Audi e-tronon-site without making an appointment in advance. A free one-hour test drive may be reserved in advance through Audi’s partners.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

Audi is demonstrating the immersive futuristic technology with “Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run,” an in-car VR experience for backseat passengers being brought to life by Disney Games and Interactive Experiences. Wearing VR glasses, the passenger in an Audi e-tron (combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km (62.1 mi)*: 26.2 –22.5 (WLTP); 24.6 - 23.7 (NEFZ); combined CO2 emissions in g/km (g/mi): 0) is transported into a fantastical depiction of outer space: The Audi e-tron now functions as the ship manned by the Guardians of the Galaxy, as the passenger makes their way through an asteroid field together with Rocket, a character that will appear in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame in spring 2019. Every movement of the car is reflected in the experience in real time. If the car turns a tight corner, the player curves around an opposing spaceship in virtual reality. If the Audi e-tron accelerates, the ship in the experience does the same.

In order to establish this new category of entertainment on the market as quickly and comprehensively as possible, Audi is taking a new approach: The premium brand has co-founded a start-up named holoride, in which it holds a minority interest through the subsidiary Audi Electronics Venture GmbH, which developed the technology. Furthermore, Audi will license the technology to holoride. The start-up will use an open platform to allow carmakers and content developers to create and offer additional extended reality formats. “Creative minds will use our platform to come up with fascinating worlds that turn the journey from A to B into a real adventure,” said Nils Wollny, Head of Digital Business at Audi, and future CEO of holoride. “We can only develop this new entertainment segment by adopting a cooperative, open approach for vehicle, device and content producers.” 

From arcade games, underwater adventures and space exploration to educational trips through historical cities or the human bloodstream, there are almost no limits to what is possible. holoride will provide a software development kit that serves as the interface to the vehicle data and transfers those into virtual realities, allowing developers to create worlds that can be experienced in-car with all of the senses. Since the visual experience and the user’s actual perception are synchronized, conventional movies, series or presentations can also be viewed with a significantly reduced chance of motion sickness. 

holoride intends to launch the new form of entertainment on the market within the next three years using standard VR glasses for backseat passengers. In the long term, the continued expansion of car-to-X infrastructure could also see traffic events becoming a part of the experience: Stopping at traffic lights could introduce unexpected obstacles to a game or interrupt a learning program with a quick quiz. 

Audi and Marvel Studios have been teaming up since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with the appearance of the Audi R8 in Iron Man (2008). Drawing upon this longstanding relationship, Audi and Disney Games and Interactive Experiences together created “Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run,” to demonstrate how a backseat passenger can enjoy their journey even more using the most innovative VR technology. “Audi, Marvel and Disney Games and Interactive Experiences are celebrating Marvel Studios’ 10th anniversary with an Avengers experience that combines world class content and innovative technology,” said Mike Goslin, Vice President, Disney Games and Interactive Experiences. “While this CES demo was developed purely in the spirit of exploration and experimentation, we are constantly evaluating emerging technologies to enhance our stories and experiences.”

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

The new TTS uses sporty design details to highlight its status as the top model of the TT family from Audi. Elements in a matt aluminum silver look shine in the Singleframe grille with a TTS badge and the matt titanium black insert. The new horizontal blade in the bumper is also striking. It turns up at the ends, forming narrow, upright funnels at the same height as the side air inlets. The full-length front splitter, the vertical air inlets and the trim strips also feature an aluminum look. Powerfully contoured sills also underscore the sporty character viewed from the sides. The hinted vertical air outlets below the rear lights and the broadened diffuser with the four tailpipes of the exhaust system are particular highlights at the rear.

Powerful combination: Seven-speed S tronic, 2.0 TFSI and quattro drive
Sporty acceleration values are possible with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission thanks to the close ratios of the lower gears. The wide ratio of the highest gear reduces engine speed and with it fuel consumption.

The 2.0 TFSI outputs 225 kW (306 metric horsepower) and has a maximum torque of 400 Nm (295.0 lb-ft) in the speed range between 2,000 and 5,300 rpm. That is 20 Nm (14.8 lb-ft) more than with the predecessor engine. The TTS Coupé accelerates to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.5 seconds (Roadster: 4.8 seconds)—a tenth faster than previously. The top speed is restricted electronically to 250 km/h (155.3 mph). A gasoline particulate filter is standard.

The new Audi TTS comes with quattro permanent all-wheel drive and the Audi magnetic ride controlled shock absorber system as standard features. Other suspension modules include progressive steering, four-link rear suspension and Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC).

Sporty highlight: “TTS competition” special model
The TTS competition special model adds a sporty touch—with LED headlights, Audi rings laminated on the side sills, privacy glazing (Coupé only), a fixed rear wing, brake calipers painted red, 20-inch wheels in high-gloss black and other exterior details in gloss black. Glacier white, tango red and mythos black are available for the exterior paint finish.

The two options for leather upholstery and trim give the interior genuine exclusiveness. Express red with contrasting stitching in granite gray or ebony with contrasting stitching in express red. To go with this, the elements of the seat trims and center console come in slate gray chrome paint finish or tango red gloss paint finish (Coupé only). The inside rings of the air vents are painted red, the gear lever knob and steering wheel rim with red 12-o’clock marking from Audi exclusive come in Alcantara. In addition, inlays in carbon come as a standard feature.

Equipment and prices
Audi equips the new TTS with 18-inch wheels. Wheels of sizes 18 and 19 inches as well as exclusive 20-inch wheels from Audi Sport are optionally available. The range of paint finishes contains two new colors: pulse orange and turbo blue. Even in the driver-oriented interior, special details underscore the sportiness of the new TTS: the additional sport screen in the Audi virtual cockpit, the S sport seats and the colored contrasting stitching.

The new Audi TTS will be available from dealerships in Germany and other European countries from the beginning of 2019. The prices for the TTS Coupé start at EUR 54,400, while the TTS Roadster is available from EUR 57,200.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

“When cars no longer have a steering wheel, premium mobility can be newly defined. In future, people traveling from A to B will be able to surf the Internet at leisure, play with their children – or do concentrated work,” says Melanie Goldmann, head of Culture and Trends Communication at Audi. “Together with the experts from the Fraunhofer Institute, we want to find out what is important for making optimal use of time in a self-driving car.”

For the laboratory experiment at the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart, Audi has specially built a driving simulator that reproduces the situation of automated driving: with a variable interior and without a steering wheel. Large-scale projections convey the impression of a city drive by night. Via displays, the researchers can introduce digital distractions, the windows can be dimmed, and the color of the lighting and noise background change.

The focus was on young test persons, so-called millennials, who were born after 1980 and are regarded as receptive to self-driving cars. In the experiment, the 30 test persons carried out various tasks requiring concentration – comparable with a work situation in a self-driving car.

As they did this, their brain activity was measured (EEG), as well as reaction times and error quotas, and subjective impressions were noted. The results of the EEG were unambiguous: in an environment without disturbances, the human brain is more relaxed. The windows were dimmed, the light settings optimized, and digital messages were suppressed. Tasks were then solved better and more quickly. The test persons also stated that they were less distracted.

By contrast, a driving situation that was “close to reality” in the robot car made greater demands on the brain: in this case, the participants saw some advertising, received information from social networks, and did not benefit from pleasant lighting settings or dimmed windows.

“The results show that the task is to find the right balance. In a digital future, there are no limits to what can be imagined. We could offer everything in the car – really overwhelm the user with information,” says Goldmann. “But we want to put people at the center of attention. The car should become a smart membrane. The right information should reach the user at the right time.”

The “25th Hour” project
Today drivers spend an average of about 50 minutes per day at the wheel. In the 25th Hour project, Audi is investigating how this time could be used better in a self-driving automobile. The project is based on the assumption that an intelligent human-machine interface will learn the user’s individual preferences and adapt flexibly. In this way, Audi customers will gain full control of their time – they will be masterful time managers.

In a first step, the project team looked at people in Hamburg, San Francisco, and Tokyo, focusing on two aspects. How is infotainment used in the car today? And what would people like to do with their free time in the car of the future? The results were then discussed with a variety of experts, including psychologists, anthropologists, and urban and mobility planners.

In a second step, the Audi team defined three time modes that are conceivable in a self-driving car: quality time, productive time, and time for regeneration. In so-called quality time, people spend their time, for example, in activities with their children or telephoning family and friends. In productive time, they usually work. In down time they relax by reading, surfing the Internet, or watching a film.

To research these time modes further, Audi recruited the help of scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute. In the current research series, the team is principally concentrating on productive time. 

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com