2002 Audi A6 Quattro Avant Wagon on 2040-cars

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Audi-only rental car company expands

With the lines and occasional hassle, getting a rental car after a long flight can be daunting, even if you already have a reservation. Now, a company called Silvercar is trying to inject some luxury and modern, high-tech features into the process to make it less of a chore. The business recently expanded to O'Hare International Airport to offer visitors to Chicago a fleet exclusively comprised of silver Audi A4s. Silvercar is based in Austin, TX, and is being run by Luke Schneider, a former chief technology officer at ZipCar. He told Crain's Chicago Business that the rental industry "hasn't innovated in 30 to 40 years." Silvercar's big innovation is in the booking process. Like ordering practically anything today, it's all done through a smartphone app. Customers then scan a QR code on the Audi's windshield to get going. At the end of the rental, the bill is emailed to you. Prices start around $59 a day on weekends and $89 during the week, according to Crain's. Because they're all A4s with GPS and Wi-Fi, everyone gets the same car. In the world of ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft, rental cars might seem passe, but according to Crain's, the rental market at O'Hare alone amounts to over $300 million a year. Silvercar's location there isn't at the actual airport, though. Instead, a shuttle picks up customers to take them to the company's site nearby. The business is working on a national rollout to 10 airports by the end of June, including major locations like LAX and Denver. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Audi UK in hot water over dealer safety claims

Car salesmen don't exactly have a reputation for being in the most truthful profession, and it appears that several Audi showrooms in the UK are playing into that stereotype. A BBC investigation found that multiple dealers told buyers that the company's models scored well in Euro NCAP crash tests. No big deal, right? The problem was that the vehicles were never actually evaluated.
The report began after an R8 buyer sent in a tip that his UK dealer claimed the sports car had received top Euro NCAP scores. However, it has never been tested by the organization. The BBC called 10 dealers inquiring about the A5 (pictured above), which also wasn't assessed. Nine said the coupe had been checked out, and six claimed it had a five-star rating - the best available.
Euro NCAP is funded by governments and motoring bodies, like the ADAC in Germany and the FIA. According to its website, the organization selects some of the most popular new models each year to crash test, and, the BBC claims, automakers can also pay to evaluate their cars. The last Audi tested was the A3 in 2012. The A6, Q3, A1, A4 and Q5 have also been tested since 2009, and they all received five-star ratings. However, the A5, A7, A8 and R8 have not been tested.

Audi's latest design is a table clock

Audi and Porsche have more things in common than we can count. They're both German, of course, and have both enjoyed considerable winning streaks at Le Mans. Both have a tendency to put their (often turbocharged) engines at one extreme of the car or another, driving either the closest wheels or all four. Both tend to follow a brand-wide evolutionary design approach, focusing their energies instead on the engineering that goes under the bodywork. Both now find themselves under the same corporate umbrella, and now that they are, Audi has followed Porsche's lead in setting up its own design consultancy.
Like Porsche Design, Audi Design is now taking on projects for all manner of clients, from pianos to foosball tables. In this latest collaboration, Audi has designed a table clock for Munich-based watchmaker Erwin Sattler. The table-top clock houses a high-frequency mechanical movement in a foot-tall glass case that lets you see the intricate clockwork, held in place by two ruthenium clasps.
Unveiled in Switzerland at the Baselworld watch and jewelry show, the clock is now available to order. But while prices haven't been announced, don't expect it to come cheap: other Erwin Sattler table clocks typically sell for upwards of $10,000, and we wouldn't expect the new design to come at a discount. Scroll down below for the official press release.