Motor Authority - blog Category: Audi

We have a preview of one of the challengers that will tackle the very special Annual Autonomous Robot Race next July, a self-driving Audi TTS Coupe nicknamed Shelley.

The vehicle gets its name from Michele Mouton, one of the most successful female rally drivers to date who played a significant part in Audi's racing history, and was developed by Audi together with a team from Stanford University.

The goal in developing Shelley was to build an autonomous vehicle capable of completing the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a reasonable time using rally driving techniques.

Audi enlisted researchers from the Volkswagen Electronics Research...

The idea of conveying information to humans in a compact, effective way in a short time has long been a challenge for the computer industry. As computers play more and more central roles in our cars, that problem becomes one central to daily driving as well.

It's compounded by the fact that most of the time we're in our cars, we're actively participating in an activity that requires most of our focus: driving. So finding a way to get information to the driver without creating unnecessary distraction or loss of meaning is all the more important, especially if that information is driving directions, safety or weather details, or even...

For a robotic car, there can hardly be a more perilous challenge than the Pikes Peak run, as even city traffic and concrete barriers don't pose the same risk as several-thousand-foot falls and sheer rock walls. Despite the fact that the Audi TTS housing the system--dubbed Shelley after famed female rally legend Michele Mouton--will be driverless, the team from Stanford must still be nervous about the attempt.

Shelley won't be taking it easy, you see--the plan is to hit the slopes as hard as possible, racing to the 14,000-foot-plus summit in the shortest time possible. This is a feat that only the most elite human race car drivers can...

We've professed our love for Forza Motorsport 3. We've gabbed about its beauty and how the graphics look true to life. And now, like some sci-fi movie where animated objects fly off the screen, rumors abound that Audi is producing a special model to honor the game that's on every Xbox fan's mind: the Audi TT Forza Motorsport Edition. The limited-edition's best, though perhaps most redundant feature? Each comes with an Xbox 360 Elite console stashed in the trunk, alongside a copy of Forza Motorsport 3. No official word from Audi about the rumors just yet, but here's hoping. Really, really hoping. [Autoblog]

There are many ways to experience a sports car, but ask any hardcore enthusiast or even the carmaker's own engineers and you'll quickly learn that hot laps on a race track is the one of the best ways to really find out what a car is made of. It's a great way to evaluate--and build--driving skills, too. This video of an Audi R8 hitting Infineon Raceway as part of the Audi Sportscar Experience program illustrates both points beautifully.

The video follows two laps of an enthusiast's stint around the track also known as Sears Point, with an eight-cylinder sound track that beats the overdubbed Goo Goo Dolls' "Long Way Down" with ease.

If the...

Audi’s new A1 premium compact is expected to hit showrooms in late 2010 as a 2011 model but today we have the first spy shots of actual prototypes taken as the car was undergoing testing in Germany. Aimed squarely at other upmarket compact cars, namely the Mini Cooper, the new A1 will be available in several different variants--just like the Mini family.

The lineup is expected to be filled with the regular three-door and five-door hatchback models, but a stylish convertible and a compact MPV are likely to be launched as well.

The latest images clearly show the shape of the grille and LED detailing in the headlights. Powertrain options...