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Audi starts production of new TT in Hungary

Audi sure made waves when it rolled out the original TT in the late 1990s, putting fashion forward with a stylish coupe that neatly summed up the design direction the company was headed in. But that was a decade and a half ago, and the TT has moved on considerably since then.
The German automaker has since revealed its third-generation TT, replacing the original twice over with ever-more performance-focused but no less stylish successors along the way. But it wasn't until last week that the first new MkIII TT rolled off the assembly line.
That took place, of course, in Gyor at Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. It's the same assembly plant that handles the company's A3 sedan and cabrio, with the facility also handling final assembly of the TT ever since the factory opened in 1997 and the model began rolling off the line in '98. Last November, the plant in Hungary built its 500,000th TT, and now officials are ushering in the era of the new model.

Audi Adaptive Cruise Control | 2017 Autoblog Technology of the Year Finalist

Not your father's cruise control, Audi's adaptive system is another step on the road to autonomous driving. That earns it a spot as one of our Technology of the Year finalists. Audi Adaptive Cruise Control can slow down or speed up your vehicle depending on the conditions. It's also capable of coming to a full stop and then resuming speed. This allows the vehicle to move with traffic without engagement from the driver using Traffic Jam Assist at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It's not being marketed as an auto-pilot setup. Rather, this system can increase driver safety by automatically braking as the vehicle in front slows and then accelerating once the path becomes clear. The cruise control has five programmable settings to regulate distance between vehicles. Linked with the navigation system, Audi's ACC suite uses a camera and radar to respond to its environment, a key development for future systems that will need to communicate with the grid. The system can read street signs, allowing it to slow down or speed up. Additionally, when a destination is set, the vehicle will automatically brake when a turn is looming to alert the driver he or she needs to take action. It will brake through the turn and then speed up upon completing the maneuver. We especially liked this, as many navigation systems don't inform the driver when to turn or take an exit until the last possible moment. Further, when navigating curves, the Audi system will brake the vehicle and resume speed as conditions require. This Adaptive Cruise Control is a layer of artificial intelligence we can get on board with. It's like having a co-pilot to assist the driver when the inevitable fatigue or distractions appear. It engages like a normal cruise control system. Simply pull the stalk in the steering wheel mount, and there's a button to modulate the distance. We tested Audi's Adaptive Cruise Control on an A4, where it is an $1,800-option as part of the Driver Assistance Package. Working in combination with Audi's Virtual Cockpit and head-up display, ACC provides the driver a sense of awareness and greater level of information than other systems on the road. Companies like Volvo and Porsche offer similar setups, but we like the intuitiveness of the Audi program. Automakers have been saying for years that the autonomous technology is essentially here, they just need the infrastructure and regulations to catch up.

Porsche wins the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans

The question going into this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans was whether or not the Porsche 919 Hybrid would be able to combine its qualifying pace with race reliability. After battling neck-and-neck with Audi's R18 for most of the race, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only did Porsche drivers climb the first two spots on the podium, they did so without any major mishaps on track. This win is the first overall trophy for Porsche since 1998. Audi previously won the last five races, and 13 of the last 15. Corvette also returned to the winner's circle, with the No. 64 C7.R taking winning the GTE Pro division. The victory is the first class win for Corvette since 2011. KCMG won the LMP2 class in ninth overall. With 45 minutes to go the No. 98 Aston Martin crashed out of first place in GTE Amateur, giving the class win to SMP Racing's Ferrari and second place to the Patrick Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 RSR. For the full list of official results, click here. The GTE Pro class proved to be just as exciting as the P1 class, with a four-way battle for first after four hours into the race. For most of the race, the battle at the top went back and forth between the two German manufacturers. An tire puncture in the No. 7 Audi gave up the lead to Porsche, and moments later a crash forced the No. 8 into the garage. But a three-minute replacement of the front and rear bodywork kept the Audi in contention. As the race wore into the night, Porsche maintained a slightly faster pace than Audi. Nick Tandy took the lead on Lap 253 early Sunday morning, and car No. 19 never gave up the top position. The win is the first for all three drivers of the No. 19 – Nico Hulkenberg, Earl Bamber, and Nick Tandy. A lap behind in second was the No. 17 Porsche. The Audis fought reliability problems late in the race but still finished third with the No. 7 R18. The GTE Pro class proved to be just as exciting as the P1 class, with a four-way battle for first after four hours into the race. As the Aston Martin cars dropped away, the lone Corvette Racing entry took over, followed by a charging AF Corse team Ferrari 458 Italia. The Corvette and Ferrari continued to trade places in the final hours until gearbox trouble forced the No. 51 Ferrari out of contention. It was eventually passed by the other AF Corse car, No. 71. Nissan experienced all the pain of a first-year effort with its front-wheel-drive GT-R LM Nismo.