The wwworld at your „ingertips
THE AUDI A8 is one of the most technically advanced cars on sale and wears enough TLAs to whip Gadget Show types into a frenzy. Mercifully, it also lets you jump in and just drive, should you prefer to shun techno trickery. No key required, press the start button, tug the chunky joystick gearlever into D and o you schmooze. But to drive the A8 in this fashion is to miss the point. It’s dripping with microchips. Where to start? Usually with MMI Touch, the haptic touchscreen that replaces most switchgear. It’s disconcerting at ¡irst – the screen ¡izzes when you prod buttons: the virtual becomes visceral. Gliding your ¡inger to swipe and write addresses is simple and eective.
Voice control is improving, but still misconstrues too many of my mutterings. Audi Virtual Cockpit lets you display dials, nav and infotainment, and the A8 syncs seamlessly with every phone we’ve tried. Special mention also to the Audi Laser Lights, whose piercing glow comes into its own at this gloomy time of year.
What of its semi-autonomous tech? Much of the A8’s Level 3 self-driving toolkit lies dormant while legislation catches up; after spending half a year being driven by a Tesla Model S, Munich’s autopilot is a step back. Our 50 TDI feels untapped, straining at the leash to drive itself. We’re truly at a technological crossroads.