Audi Q5 to boast NVIDIA-powered interface, gadgets aplenty

Audi is certainly no stranger to cramming some less-than-common technology into its vehicles, and it looks like its new Q5 compact crossover vehicle is no exception, with it set to roll out of the factory later this year with some NVIDIA-powered graphics. That comes in the form of the vehicle's Harman/Becker-designed MMI (Multi-Media Interface) "3G infotainment system," which relies on an unspecified NVIDIA graphics processor to provide smooth map transitions, along with photorealistic depictions of points of interest and other eye candy. As if that wasn't enough, the vehicle's in-dash system will also boast support for external USB storage media, built-in Bluetooth, satellite radio, and even a SIM card slot that'll effectively turn it into a quad-band GSM cellphone.

[John @ Jun 5th 2008 4:47PM]

fap fap fap

[Zach @ Jun 5th 2008 5:34PM]

although i know what you're talking about...it seems to me that that's more like the sound of people rolling (or rather, flying) over the hood of this car when the driver (watching youtube while on the phone with his grandmother reciting complex poetry while reading the news through RSS..on his dash..) blows through a crosswalk at 75mph and subsequently the sound *BANG* is heard after smashing into another fellow doing the same.

don't get me wrong, i'm sure they'll put features that make the stuff only accessible while parking, but i'm sure some crafty beaver will figure out how to disable that rather quickly..as when there are rules, they and broken.

[Zach @ Jun 5th 2008 5:35PM]

they are broken*
damn you engadget.

[CarpeD1em500 @ Jun 5th 2008 5:42PM]

^
Yes, you make a typo, and then blame Engadget....makes tons of sense...

[Zach @ Jun 5th 2008 5:51PM]

guess you've never made a typo and tried to edi-- OH. wait. they don't have that. didn't know i needed to be so utterly clear.
i repeat. damn you engadget [for the lack of a edit function, for those who lack the 'deduce facts' button]
(if this double posts .......)

[Zach @ Jun 5th 2008 5:52PM]

holy bejesus. there's another one i could have fixed!
damnit.

[Decoy @ Jun 5th 2008 6:12PM]

fail fail fail

[Reid @ Jun 5th 2008 7:56PM]

Not *quite* as ugly as the hideous-as-sin-Q7.

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jun 5th 2008 4:48PM]

I call shenanigans. Tony Stark didn't have this in the R8.

[HalfJoey @ Jun 5th 2008 4:50PM]

Wait, what are uses of the SIM card slot when the car already has Bluetooth?

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jun 5th 2008 4:51PM]

So it can find the Allspark.

[Andrew @ Jun 6th 2008 12:30AM]

You put a "twin" SIM-card in your car's slot, that way you don't have to pair your phone over bluetooth or even remember to bring your phone.

You also save your phone's battery charge by not having it communicate and handle the calls.

[deyanimay @ Jun 5th 2008 4:51PM]

Can it play crysis?

[waddaya @ Jun 5th 2008 4:57PM]

Can it run over you?
yes

[Jherez @ Jun 5th 2008 5:34PM]

Now that would be a crysis

[Erik @ Jun 5th 2008 4:57PM]

The biggest cell phone since the DynaTAC 8000X.

[reuvypoo @ Jun 5th 2008 4:57PM]

That is seriously awesome. I love Audis. It would be cool of some of the other luxury car makers take a hint from Audi and start offering options like this.

[waddaya @ Jun 5th 2008 5:00PM]

So if you over clock the GPU will it make it more of a gas guzzler?

[r3loaded @ Jun 5th 2008 5:20PM]

Best of all, the car comes with liquid cooling as standard!

[gabe @ Jun 5th 2008 5:36PM]

I like audis. 1st car was an a6. That said I don't feel comfortable owning one again because of the maintenance issues. I'll stick with bmw

Audi interiors > all.

[o rly @ Jun 5th 2008 6:09PM]

Gabe, take a look at a reliability list; BMW is below Audi (Audi is the highest rated for a German manufacturer in North America).

[Andrew @ Jun 5th 2008 8:23PM]

Honestly I love my A4, even if I did have to spend $5k on transmission work (you know what? F%$K the clutch, its worth the $5k to do 3500RPM launches, to smoke all the jocks with their civics with fart cans and NASA Lunar Lander wings on the back).

That said, it *IS* a bitch to maintain them. I find that BMWs are the only vehicles I have trouble beating, and thats been solved with a $500 75HP/110LB-FT upgrade.

Repeat, LOVE my A4. However, for some odd reason, I'm not a huge fan of integrated stock gadgets. Because they will always be lacking. If you build a car PC, and do an in-dash display, you have EVERYthing that this has, PLUS you can hook up a, for example, VAG-COM and change settings and monitor your vehicle. For someone who doesnt know their wiper fluid from their blinker fluid, this is nice though. Assuming they can find the ignition...

[o rly @ Jun 5th 2008 8:31PM]

Andrew, what "$500 75HP/110LB-FT upgrade" are you talking about?

[Pete @ Jul 22nd 2008 11:59AM]

Hahaha! Fart can, never heard it called that. I have an A4 and would love to mod the inside. Is it a major operation to pop a computer in there?

[Yefim @ Jul 22nd 2008 2:36PM]

@Pete:

Funny you should ask :-) I am working on that project as we speak. Email me if need more details. It involves some work.. but after a ton of research, it is much easier then I thought. Should be done in the next few days!

[Christian @ Jun 5th 2008 5:24PM]

now that's a MOBILE phone!

[spam @ Jun 5th 2008 5:43PM]

@Gabe

I agree, I had an 04 A4 and the interior was the best, did have some maintenance issues though. Still love em

[L.Rawlins @ Jun 5th 2008 5:49PM]

My kingdom for an S5...

[Si @ Jun 5th 2008 6:23PM]

Is this just the poor mans version of a Q7?...(I've looked at prices and in fact....they don't seem all that different with the Q5 going up to 60k)

Seems like the whole X3 - X5 game from bmw, the X3 will always look lame beside an X5, I feel this may be the same.

[Prestor John @ Jun 5th 2008 6:27PM]

I hope they pull this off. I didn't know much about the car market until last year when I was looking for a new one, but I was just shocked by how little media technology is integrated into high end luxury cars. Mercedez Benz S class and CL class have a damn PCMCIA slot in which you have to insert your own SD card reader. What the hell? On the other hand, Fords with sync have blue tooth streaming integrated with a decent GPS system and touch screen. And, of course, external USB sources (should have more than one)

Audi has been kicking ass lately.

[Sung @ Jun 5th 2008 6:28PM]

RS6 Avant all the way. If only they'd introduce them in the States. Not sure why they'd limit infotainment system like this: why not just throw in a UMPC. That way I can take my computer system with me. Now that'd be hot.

[Grandalf @ Jun 5th 2008 10:07PM]

I'm sure what you mean is, RS8 Avant Quattro 3.0TDI :)

[bryan @ Jun 5th 2008 6:42PM]

Does this mean that if the Q5 with nVidia gets next to a Fusion with Microsoft Sync, it'll cause 25% of Fusions to crash - since it was shown that nVidia causes 25% of Microsoft crashes???

[David @ Jun 5th 2008 6:57PM]

With all this distracting high-tech gadgetry there's always the risk of crashes not quite so micro or soft.

[ventivent @ Jun 5th 2008 6:59PM]

If I were Audi, I would focus on increasing reliability of their current vehicles instead of adding bells and whistles to new ones. I can't tell you how many times I've seen brand new Audi's driving around with blown headlights and tail-lights. Most of these cars haven't even received their license plates yet. They need serious quality control.

[o rly @ Jun 6th 2008 12:46AM]

lol You mean the fog DRLs or rear fog light which is only on one side so drivers behind you don't think you're braking?

[phanbouy @ Jun 5th 2008 11:38PM]

mound of gravel not included

[Alex @ Jun 6th 2008 12:37AM]

I own an Audi and what their MMI (Mulit Media Interface) desperately needs is a touch screen map navigation (with pinch zoom and all that). Scrolling and zooming a map when trying to get to a certain location on a map is a royal pain in the butt right now.

[TSM @ Jun 6th 2008 2:35AM]

Maybe they could use some of those "NVIDIA-powered graphics" to improve the piss poor Photoshop job of that car in that background.

[I Cook on My Notebook @ Jun 6th 2008 11:18AM]

I want to put my gaming PC in my Lamborghini now!

[Kris.W @ Jun 6th 2008 3:25PM]

my god.
as if my favourite car brand couldnt get any more sexy, Audi has this brilliant idea for the new Q5's...