2009 2.0t Special Edition Used Turbo 2l I4 16v Fwd Convertible Premium on 2040-cars

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Audi takes cars that park themselves to a whole new level

Autonomous cars are impressive displays of in-car technology, but what exactly would the benefit of such systems be for the average driver? Audi has answered that question by showing off its Piloted Parking system for the Audi Connect at CES 2013.
Installed on this Audi A7, Piloted Parking allows a driver to drop themselves off and have the car autonomously drive away on its own and find its own parking spot. The car can then later be retrieved by "calling" it back with a specially designed smartphone app. We'd be lying if we said this didn't bring back memories of Michael Knight summoning KITT with his wristwatch. The most impressive part of this car might be the fact that the car is fully autonomous but doesn't have any obvious sensors or monitors on the exterior of the car like many other self-driving cars have.
Check out a video of the this innovative technology in action after the jump.

Audi planning RS Q7 performance crossover

Audi resisted getting into the crossover market altogether until it launched the original Q7 in 2005, and held back from producing a performance crossover until it caved first with the SQ5 and then with the RS Q3, both in 2013. And now that the tide has washed over it, Ingolstadt's next plan, according to Top Gear, is to launch a performance version of the new Q7. Though it remains unclear whether it would carry the S or RS badge, the performance-oriented version of the new Q7 will surely benefit from the hundreds of pounds in excess weight Audi managed to trim off the latest model over the one it replaces. Also unclear is whether said hi-po Q7 would go with a diesel or a gasoline engine. The diesel option would more likely go the S route than the full RS, but wouldn't be likely to make it to the States if it were only offered as a diesel. With the SQ5, it's worth noting, Audi offers a TDI diesel version in Europe and a gasoline TSI in North America, so we wouldn't be surprised to see it take a similar approach with the larger model as well. Whatever it does pack under the hood, though, the SQ7 or RS Q7 would be facing some stiff competition from the likes of the Mercedes GL63 AMG, BMW X5 M and Range Rover Sport SVR – not to mention corporate cousins like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and upcoming Bentley Bentayga – while giving the Volkswagen group a bigger slice of that exclusive but expanding pie.

Audi buys Ballard fuel cell patents for $80 million

While some auto companies (e.g., Toyota and Hyundai) are giving away some hydrogen fuel cell patents, others are paying a pretty penny to gain access to the H2 tech. Audi announced today that it has purchased a suite of fuel-cell patent from Ballard Power Systems. The deal between Volkswagen Group and the Canadian fuel cell pioneer is worth over $80 million US. Unsurprisingly, the value of Ballard's stock shot up about a dollar (to $2.61 as of this writing) on the announcement. VW and Ballard will also extend their development agreement, originally scheduled to end in 2017, to March 2019, and possibly another two years after that. Thus far, the deal – which revolves around the "design and manufacture of next-generation fuel cell stacks" for VW's H2 demonstration program – and Ballard says it is a leader in "critical areas of fuel cell product design – including the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), plate and stack components – along with certain testing and integration work." At the LA Auto Show last fall, VW showed off a Golf SportWagen and a Passat with a hydrogen hybrid HyMotion powertrain as well as a Audi A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro. Audi buys fuel-cell patents from Ballard Power Systems Development agreement with Ballard extended until 2019 Audi's Head of Development Prof. Hackenberg: "The entire VW Group will use these patents." Ingolstadt/Burnaby, February 11, 2015 – AUDI AG has acquired a package of patents relating to fuel-cell technology from Ballard Power Systems Inc. In addition, the Volkswagen Group has extended its cooperation with the Canadian clean energy company until 2019. The purchase of these patents will provide new impetus for the development of fuel-cell drive systems at Audi, VW and the Volkswagen Group. As explained by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at AUDI AG and responsible for the steering of the development departments of all brands in the VW Group: "Audi is acquiring these strategically important patents for the entire group and will make them available to all the brands. In this way, we are securing crucial expertise that will provide new impetus for the further development of this technology." Ballard Power Systems Inc. is based in Burnaby, Canada, and is one of the world's leading companies in the technology of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.