Now while all the other auto journos were too busy running from each vehicle launch, there was Agent001 catching the nitty gritty. Sometimes its the little details that matter and forecast the future. ONLY the Spies know that.
As we've begun to see in some contemporary autos, there has been a movement towards digital instrument clusters. But, we have yet to see one like this.
The Audi Quattro Coupe features a unit that moves the MMI information from the center of the dashboard into the driver's field of vision, next to the tachometer. This way, a driver can cycle through the functions without having to take their eyes off the road -- it only takes a glance.
Where things get cool is how the system can display MMI functions -- navigation, phone, media, vehicle settings/status -- AND racing mode that features a nifty "prayer book," which is essentially an outline of a course or track.
Three things 00R finds interesting:
1) Note that contacts have a picture and appear to move as if you're flipping through an iPod's album covers
2) Note that there is a LinkedIn option with your contacts -- what does this mean, exactly?
3) Note the integration of social media when the car gives you the ability to "Like" media
An excerpt from Audi's press release follows:
The classic driver orientation (“wrap-around architecture” in the designer jargon) of the cockpit is typical Audi. The control unit for the MMI touch system and the shift lever for the six-speed transmission are located on the extremely slender center console.
The instrument cluster is completely digital. The large, three-dimensional visor-like display contains all of the information required by the driver and thus also replaces the classic MMI central display. The clear graphics, the stark black-and-white contrast and the subtle red highlights are precise and modernly interpreted – an indicator instrument for a driving machine, with no superfluous touches. The driver has the choice between an everyday mode, which combines the indication of the speed and engine revs with the content of the MMI, and racing mode, whose graphics revisit and refine the digital instrument of the Ur-quattro from the 1980s.
The driver will find another reminder of the Ur-quattro's cockpit on the sides of the cockpit cowl: On both the right and left sides are four flat buttons. The ones on the left control the stopwatch function in racing mode, and the ones on the right are for the menu of the MMI system.
Infotainment
Entertainment is offered not just under the hood, but also in the form of digital media. A customizable web radio can use the driver’s cellular phone to connect to digital radio stations all over the world, if desired, for a sheer endless array of genres and musical styles. Playback of the driver’s own files and playlists is also supported.
Communication also benefits from access to corresponding online services. Whether the online address book or the driver’s own cellular phone, the MMI combines all data into a single view. Contacts are always available wherever the user happens to be.
To pay proper respect to the Ur-quattro as the winner of numerous rally world championships, a so-called “prayer book” – the classic rally copilot's track description – can be displayed in racing mode. It provides precise information about the route ahead for an authentic rally feeling – even if a copilot is not available....
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2010 Paris Motor Show Photo Gallery
2010 Paris Motor Show Photo Gallery
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Special thanks to Saab for hosting us in Sweden and in Paris for this years show. The manufacturer paid for our airfare, food and lodging.
2010 Paris Motor Show Photo Gallery
Saab Factory Photo Gallery
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BMW Paris Preview Photo Gallery