Audi A8 is 2012 ‘Connected Car of the Year’

Brian Harris Audi the leading Louisiana Audi dealer in Baton Rouge is pleased to announce that Audi A8 recently was honored in the first annual Connected World Connected Car of the Year awards, which spotlights vehicles with technology that strikes the right balance between safety, convenience, and infotainment. Chosen by the editorial team at Connected World magazine, Audi A8 was selected for its unmatched Audi connect™ infotainment system, now widely available on Audi models, and superior safety features. The vehicle is profiled in the March issue of Connected World.

 

The Audi A8 was chosen as the top vehicle in the Ultra-Luxury category. Among the factors considered were active safety features and distraction-free drive; connectivity focusing on comfort and convenience; and infotainment options offered in distraction-free manner, including music, video and Wi-Fi®.

 

“Drivers have reached a point in which they are looking for a vehicle that is safe and reliable, and can keep them connected while on the road, just as they are able to while in the office or in their homes,” says Mike Carrozzo, chief editor, Connected World. “And, as consumers, we also want to be connected in a distraction-free environment. The connected cars named as winners for 2012 are certainly providing these options, and so much more.”

 

With the Audi A8, Audi is the first company worldwide to feature factory-installed wireless internet, enabling the innovative infotainment system called Audi connect. Previously only available in the Audi A6, Audi A7, Audi A8 and Audi Q7, Audi connect is now available on all Audi A4 and Audi A5 models, making it the only brand worldwide to feature this level of integrated connectivity in the B segment.

 

T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless carrier for Audi connect systems. Audi connect services are enabled with an enhanced, ruggedized T-Mobile® SIM card, which is included with the vehicle, allowing customers to simply sign up for a service plan at the time of vehicle sale or at any time during or after the six-month complimentary trial period. Prices for 3G service range from $25-$30/month. Audi turned to T-Mobile as the wireless provider because of its reliable, nationwide network, leadership in automotive telematics, and strong customer satisfaction record.

 

“Increasingly, we are seeing a dramatic shift in the way consumers interact with their automobiles,” said Stan Simpliciano, senior director of MVNO/M2M at T-Mobile USA, “The ability to connect and access real-time information from nearly anywhere represents an amazing enhancement to everyday experiences. We applaud the industry recognition of the high bar set with the Audi A8 with Audi connect and are proud of the innovation that we’ve achieved in collaboration with Audi.”

 

With Audi connect, the onboard MMI® Navigation system is enhanced with Google Earth™ maps and real-time SiriusXM Traffic information, for a true aerial view of the route. Audi connect also features real-time localized weather, news and live fuel prices; Google Local Search for detailed information about travel destinations, such as restaurant or hotel hours, pricing and customer reviews; the myAudi Destination feature, which allows registered users to log on to Google Maps™ from any location and download up to 50 destinations to the vehicle; and a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to simultaneously use the wireless connectivity. Audi connect is a pivotal first step towards a connected car future. Vehicles with Audi connect currently are the only broadband-connected cars in the world.

 

The Audi A8 also features the optional driver assistance package, which includes adaptive cruise control that keeps the A8 at a constant distance from the preceding vehicle, active lane assist, and dynamic steering. Dynamic steering varies the effort as well as the steering ratio, while active lane assist helps the vehicle maintain lane discipline should the driver begin to sway outside of the lane markings without setting the turn signal. The Audi A8 also features Audi Night Vision Assistant with pedestrian detection that can warn the driver of oncoming pedestrians up to 1,000 feet away.

For more information you can visit Brian Harris Audi located in 12326 Airline Highway Baton Rouge, LA 70817 or visit us online to schedule a test drive. 

Audi presents hybrid race car in Munich

The place and date for the world premiere of the new Audi hybrid race car for the Le Mans 24 Hours have been set. The forward-thinking LMP1 vehicle will be presented at the Munich Airport on February 29 before the Audi Annual Press Conference 2012.

Red carpet: The Annual Press Conference on March 1 is one of the most important events in AUDI AG’s fiscal year. And exactly on this occasion Audi Sport will be presenting its major and arguably most ambitious project for the 2012 motorsport season: the new hybrid race car for the Le Mans 24 Hours. The Le Mans prototype will be celebrating its world premiere at the Munich Airport on the eve of the Annual Press Conference. The evening to which about 300 journalists from around the world have been invited is billed as “Looking to the future – tomorrow’s automotive technology.”

Six out of eight: Slightly modified Sporting Regulations are designed to add suspense to the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In the manufacturers’ classification of the top LMP1 category only the best-placed vehicle of one automobile manufacturer will score championship points. In addition, only the results of six of the eight races – including the Le Mans 24 Hours for which the points awarded are doubled – will be counted. In the 2012 WEC Audi is fighting with Toyota for the World Champion’s title.

Lady in the GT3 Audi: Cyndie Allemann is the first woman to contest a racing series in the Audi R8 LMS. The 25-year-old Swiss is competing for the Audi customer team Hitotsuyama Racing in d the GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT Championship. Mikio Hitotsuyama’s squad won the Super Taikuyu Series with the Audi R8 LMS last year and scored the 100th victory of the successful Audi customer sport race car.

Honor for Le Mans: The renowned “National Geographic” magazine has ranked the Le Mans 24 Hours as the world’s greatest sporting event that anyone should have visited at least once in their life. The combination of skill, speed and endurance, it said, made Le Mans the world’s best auto race.

Honor for Audi engineer: Leena Gade, the vehicle engineer for the 2011 Le Mans winning Audi R18 TDI, was invited to the “Motor Sport Hall of Fame 2012” at the Roundhouse in London on Thursday night. The event held by “Motor Sport” magazine is regarded as one of the most important social functions of the British motorsport scene.

Double: Last weekend, Audi “factory” driver Timo Scheider attended two major sporting events. On Saturday evening, the two-time DTM Champion witnessed the World Championship victory of boxer Vitali Klitschko over Dereck Chisora in Munich's Olympic Hall ​. On, Sunday Scheider visited the Ski Flying World Cup in Oberstdorf.

Following in his father’s tracks: Audi “factory” driver André Lotterer contested the historic “Legend Boucles de Spa” rally this weekend. Lotterer has close ties to Belgium. The German spent his youth there and his father Henry Lotterer worked for the Belgian RAS rally team. At the “Legend Bouclés des Spa” rally the Le Mans winner piloted a Porsche 911 SC RS, a car resembling the one his father, who died in 2009, had prepared in the nineteen-eighties.

Finale in India: The place and date for the tenth race of the FIA GT1 World Championship in which the Audi customer team WRT is putting two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars on the grid have been set. The season finale will be held at the Formula 1 circuit near New Dehlhi in India on December 2. The season will open at Nogaro (France) on April 8.

Indoor session: A photo shoot with DTM racer Mike Rockenfeller and the new Audi A1 Sportback for the Audi Sport magazine “Adrenalin” had to be moved indoors to the Audi Forum Ingolstadt at short notice on Wednesday due to a heavy snowstorm. The change in venue gave the 2010 Le Mans winner an immediate opportunity to view the re-designed new car delivery section with his expert eyes.

On the controller: The five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela has discovered a new passion: slot car racing. With an Audi R8 LMS and a team of his own the former DTM Champion and long-standing Audi factory driver is contesting the legendary rallye racing Carrera Cup this year. The season will open in Hamburg this week.

Visit Brian Harris Audi in Baton Rouge, LA to test drive you favorite Audi or request a service appointment online.