Eliminating the Annoying Stop/Start Feature, Audi Buys Minority Stake in Sauber, Audi Interiors Take Top Priority & More! | AudiWorld Driven
You don’t have to live with stop/start, Audi moves closer to Formula 1 entry, and driving through a mall in a stolen A4 are some of the top stories this week.
January is now in the rearview mirror as we take one step closer to spring and better driving weather. But just because much of the country is in a deep freeze that doesn’t mean the Audi news has slowed down. So, we are here with another installment of the AudiWorld Driven series to get you caught up. As always, we rounded up the hottest Audi news, reviews, videos, and AudiWorld forum discussions from the past week just for you. This week incudes at a brazen car thief that drives a stolen Audi A4 through a mall. AudiWorld forum members discuss how to get rid of that pesky start/stop feature. Audi takes a significant step towards Formula 1 entry. Audi design boss says that interiors of new models will take priority over everything else. There is a lot to cover this week so let’s get to it.
Audi Design to Focus on Interior
Audi vehicles have always been about cutting-edge design. Both inside and out. And that design was always accompanied by impressive performance. It started with an engine and a platform and the design went from there. Well, that might all change a bit for future Audi vehicles. Audi design chief Marc Lichte recently spoke to Top Gear about the new Activesphere concept. In that discussion he stated that future Audi vehicles will start with the human interface first. That will be the priority. Does that mean the speed and performance will take a back seat? According to Lichte both design and performance will be considered. It remains to be seen how true that will be. Read the Top Gear article HERE.
Must Watch Video: Listen to Awesome Audi Racecars from the 1980s
This is a must listen to video. Seeing these old Audi racecars tear around a track is certainly cool. But it can’t compare to listening to them tear around a racetrack. Soon we will be left with silent EVs or EVs that generate fake sound with speakers and software. But these old warriors make noise the old-fashioned way. It is glorious.
Forum Thread of the Week: How to Ditch Stop/Start
To most driving enthusiasts the stop/start feature is top of the list annoying. Real drivers don’t care about the tiny percentage of gas that might be saved by shutting off the engine at every stoplight. Most folks turn it off the second they get into the car. But it is annoying to have to bother with this feature at all. If only there was a way to get rid of it permanently. Good news, there is! Click HERE to find out how courtesy of some helpful AudiWorld forum members.
Thief Drives Stolen Audi A4 Through a Mall in Canada
Believe it or not, this is not a video game. This is real life. Real life in Canada anyway. This Audi A4 was stolen and then driven through the Vaughan Mills mall in Ontario at about 1:30 in the morning. The car was stolen about 340 miles from the mall. It seems driving it that distance was not exciting enough, so the thief entered the mall with it, causing a significant amount of property damage, and then ditched the Audi shortly after. You can read the whole story as reported by Carscoops HERE.
Must Watch Video: Does the S4 Avant Deserve Poor Reliability Reputation?
The 2007 Audi S4 Avant is a wonderful sporty wagon. But it doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to reliability. Is that reputation justified? Or, like so many things, has the internet blown it all out of proportion? Well, the best way to find out is to talk to the owner of one. And this one is special as it is painted Imola Yellow and has a manual transmission. That combination alone would make us grant it some leeway in the reliability department. Watch the video to see how the owner has faired with this special little car.
Audi Buys Minority Stake in Sauber
Audi is coming to Formula One and they recently took another step towards that goal with a minority stake purchase of Sauber. Sauber is partnered with Alfa Romeo in 2023 and will then use Ferrari power in 2024 and 2025. But starting in 2026 Audi will take over. That may seem like a long way off, but it will be here quickly and competing in Formula One is not something you can slap together at the last moment. MSN reports the news of the Sauber purchase HERE.
Images: Audi; Carscoops
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