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Post by johnc on Feb 25, 2019 12:31:35 GMT
I meant to say previously but when we were in Marbella two weeks ago there was a big Audi presence at the conference centre and at a high end hotel. All week long we saw e-tron's being driven on the motorway, up mountain roads and around town, presumably by the press or dealers.
We were able to get a pretty good look of a stationary one before a security guy wandered over and also on the road where we sat alongside a few whilst in traffic or at the lights. It is a very well proportioned vehicle and if the price isn't ridiculous, I think it could do very well indeed. The interior looks much more interesting than the slab dash of a Tesla and overall I think it is much more attractive than an I-pace.
Some of the cars had the door mirrors (wing mirrors) replaced by small camera pods which looked slightly odd but I couldn't see where the screen was to show the driver what was behind. It looks like a bit of a gimmick because the camera still sticks out on a stalk, so I can't really see the point unless you want to relieve yourself of a few £000 for vanity. There is no doubt it is considerably smaller than a normal mirror but probably less visible to others and more vulnerable.
There appeared to be several different model versions, with different trim, wheels etc but they all looked pretty good and the gap in looks between them all was small, unlike many manufacturers who make the lower models so visually unattractive that they are almost unsaleable.
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Post by Tim on Feb 25, 2019 12:42:51 GMT
The screen for the door mirror cameras (?) is in the door, slightly below the window line roughly where you'd look at a real miror, apparently.
The mags weren't over enthused but did comment that you'd get used to it.
I see it as a positive step actually because there have been so many times recently where I've contemplated an overtake and the gigantic mirrors on the 'victim' have blocked my view sufficient for me to have to edge out further than I feel comfortable.
If they can be replaced by a small stalk with a camera it would make overtaking a lot easier.
It's actually odd to me that mirrors have become so big - driving the Coupe is a shock after something like the 320 because the mirrors are tiny!
In addition on the Nissan 370 the mirror was about 50% of the height of the side window and blocked the view spectacularly on approaches to roundabouts.
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Post by Martin on Feb 25, 2019 13:17:03 GMT
I was looking at the e-tron on the Audi website and there’s a video of the cameras, they look more useful than you’d expect. You can quickly change the view, which would be useful when parking / negotiating in tight spaces.
Large SUVs have increasingly large, lorry size mirrors which are really ugly, so I’d go for the cameras. They’re standard on the launch edition which is similar to Vorsprung trim elsewhere in the range.
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Post by michael on Feb 25, 2019 13:53:23 GMT
It's actually odd to me that mirrors have become so big - driving the Coupe is a shock after something like the 320 because the mirrors are tiny! I believe it's an EU regulation that requires mirrors to be scaled to a proportion of the frontal size of a vehicle. |
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Post by Tim on Feb 25, 2019 14:01:01 GMT
I assume the 370's mirrors are taken off something larger from the Nissan range like the X-Trail then.
They're the one thing about it I really disliked.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2019 18:24:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2019 19:23:45 GMT
Sportback version imminent and with headlights that are probably worth more than my entire car.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Dec 9, 2019 1:17:27 GMT
Those lights are both cool and wanky at the same time!
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Post by Martin on Dec 9, 2019 8:04:38 GMT
Those lights are both cool and wanky at the same time! They are. The technology is great, but I don’t like the pointless animations and he didn’t say anything about the range. |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Dec 9, 2019 12:30:47 GMT
I wonder if some programming via something like OBD11 could produce your own designs? I'd have a nice subtle start up/shut down sequence and absolutely no Audi badging or slogans.
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Post by Martin on Dec 9, 2019 12:56:49 GMT
Or just turn the nonsense off! As it will have keyless entry, you won't see it unless you're parked facing a wall.
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Post by Tim on Dec 9, 2019 13:15:53 GMT
So, Audi have spent a lot of time coming up with a load of configurable shit that'll be on a car bought by middle-aged people who don't have the time, or inclination, to spend hours fannying about with it.
Great.
Once the car is a couple of years old any frontal collision will probably result in it being a write off.
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Post by Martin on Dec 9, 2019 13:23:20 GMT
So, Audi have spent a lot of time coming up with a load of configurable shit that'll be on a car bought by middle-aged people who don't have the time, or inclination, to spend hours fannying about with it. Great. Once the car is a couple of years old any frontal collision will probably result in it being a write off. Probably. Just had a look on eBay and a pair of used headlights for mine are between £2,500-3,000....you can buy a new set with module (from the US) for £11,500! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 15:11:44 GMT
Or just turn the nonsense off! As it will have keyless entry, you won't see it unless you're parked facing a wall. Apparently the car looks to see if there is a wall present and does the animation on the floor if not. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 15:25:57 GMT
Those lights are both cool and wanky at the same time! They are. The technology is great, but I don’t like the pointless animations and he didn’t say anything about the range. If you look at the CNet video on YouTube the car is actually being driven and you see the lights in action. They moan because it's filmed in the States and the lights won't be legal there! |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 9, 2019 15:44:21 GMT
Sales of the e-tron have declined every month since its launch in the US. Tesla have a decade of experience in the market and currently their tech is better, delivering much better range and battery management, translating into sales of the Model X outstripping the Audi 4 to 1.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2019 16:08:49 GMT
Patriotism at its finest. Most Yanks will always choose an American car over something European. Especially if it's cheaper. That said, the Audi is a seriously dull design, until this Sportback version came along to improve matters slightly anyway.
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Post by Tim on Dec 9, 2019 16:20:41 GMT
Patriotism at its finest. Most Yanks will always choose an American car over something European. Especially if it's cheaper. Er, Bob says the Tesla has better range, better tech so if you can see past the badge (which presumably a lot of Yanks can) then the Tesla is clearly the one to go for. I don't know how their pricing compares in the US though? |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 9, 2019 19:09:42 GMT
Patriotism at its finest. Most Yanks will always choose an American car over something European. Especially if it's cheaper. That said, the Audi is a seriously dull design, until this Sportback version came along to improve matters slightly anyway. This is not true. The Yanks are far more open to non-domestic vehicles, new brands, new tech than we are in Europe. Take Lexus, the Japanese built a better vehicle than Cadillac, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, and Audi and the Yanks bought it in droves, making it the No.1 Luxury brand. The Toyota Camry became the best selling saloon, taking over from the Ford Taurus. |
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Post by Roadsterstu on Dec 10, 2019 19:12:47 GMT
Or just turn the nonsense off! As it will have keyless entry, you won't see it unless you're parked facing a wall. I'd want to project it into a foggy night sky like the Bat symbol. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2020 20:50:27 GMT
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Post by racingteatray on Feb 9, 2021 19:19:05 GMT
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Post by Martin on Feb 9, 2021 19:55:54 GMT
The £80k version is very close on power/range to the RS and a more reasonable price. If it’s similar to Taycan 4S vs Turbo, then it will be the one to go for and it’s broadly the same price as a well specced iPace. I agree it’s the best looking EV so far. |
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Post by PG on Feb 10, 2021 11:51:49 GMT
By EV standards, that's really rather a looker - nicer than a Taycan for sure, the front of which always reminds me slightly of Ja-Ja Binks. Wretchedly expensive though. The £80k version is very close on power/range to the RS and a more reasonable price. If it’s similar to Taycan 4S vs Turbo, then it will be the one to go for and it’s broadly the same price as a well specced iPace. I agree it’s the best looking EV so far. Agreed it's better looking than the Taycan and it's nice to see the uber-grille has been filled in. A bonus! I have not seen what the standard spec is, but if the option list has to be raided, £80k will be along way away in the rear view mirror. |
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Post by michael on Feb 10, 2021 12:45:49 GMT
I prefer the Taycan.
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Post by Tim on Feb 10, 2021 12:55:40 GMT
The grille might've been filled in but the front is still a mess!
I actually saw a Taycan recently and was impressed, it was nice and curvy. Only saw it from the back and rear 3/4 though.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 3, 2021 10:19:42 GMT
I'm now seeing loads of these about, either parked on drives as I walk around or on every trip I make out from home. I wonder what the sales figures are?
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