The 2012 Audi A7: Tech-Lover's Dream Car Has Jet Pilot Display, Google And More

When the folks at Audi contacted me here at HuffPostTech and asked if I wanted to test drive the new A7, I thought maybe they had meant to email our friends over at AOL Autos.

But when I saw the list of the gadgets and gizmos available for the 2012 A7, I knew that their message really was for me.

Fully-equipped for just a shade under $60,000 and on sale as of the first week in July, the A7 is a tech-lover's dream car, with several totally integrated technological features, such as:

• 3D Google Earth aerial views on the above-dash GPS-system.


• A "Head-Up Display" that projects speed and turning directions onto the windshield in the driver's line of vision (so that the driver doesn't have to look down, thus keeping his head up).


• In-vehicle WiFi connectivity for up to 8 devices.


• A touchpad system with handwriting recognition, allowing the driver to write out phone numbers, addresses, or the names of restaurants, hotels, and more with his pointer finger

...and much more. The 2012 Audi A7 isn't just plugged in; it is the computer.

We'll be back with a video of all this stuff in action soon, but for now, feast your eyes on some photos of some of the A7's most nifty technological features.

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Head Up Windshield Display

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A technology used by jet pilots and adapted for the A7, Audi has added a "Head Up Display" to its new sedan. The adjustable display projects the driver's speed and upcoming turns onto the windshield in front of him so that he never has to take his eyes off the road, thus keeping his "head up." This information appears to hover just above the steering wheel on the windshield. This picture was taken from the point-of-view of the driver; passengers and drivers of other cars cannot see the display. And to answer your question: no, it is not distracting--reading it becomes second nature very quickly, like checking your rearview mirrors or your speedometer.

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A technology used by jet pilots and adapted for the A7, Audi has added a "Head Up Display" to its new sedan. The adjustable display projects the driver's speed and upcoming turns onto the windshield in front of him so that he never has to take his eyes off the road, thus keeping his "head up." This information appears to hover just above the steering wheel on the windshield.

This picture was taken from the point-of-view of the driver; passengers and drivers of other cars cannot see the display. And to answer your question: no, it is not distracting--reading it becomes second nature very quickly, like checking your rearview mirrors or your speedometer.

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This A7 Gadget

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Comments

[Gary Marshall Wellborn]

02:45 PM on 07/20/2011

HUD is nothing new the Audi has tweaked it a little with the GPS directions and that is great. If you can afford the gadgets get the gadgets, just don't expect a return on investment. Overall I would say Ford has the advantage with their more inexpensive line-up of add ons. Lets see, 45k to 60k or 24k to 31k? Buy the Audi and take a bigger hit at resale, or you could always just keep it....right?

[Ana Mancini]

02:43 PM on 07/20/2011

Once they put that into one of the trucks I will be a happy girl.

Ana Mancini

[sensimilla]

11:02 AM on 07/20/2011

better title:

How HP has sold out completely, allowing ads to mascarade as "news".

HP is becoming the FAUX news of the left, pretty friggen sad.

[clsmithj]

05:37 AM on 07/20/2011

There GPS devices that provide this same feature for any vehicle.

[JScott]

01:07 AM on 07/20/2011

Bad idea more driver distraction.

Junk all of that crap at at LEAST give a towing load of 1000 lbs. right now it doesn't allow for ANY TOWING LOAD AT ALL.

[Corey Ferguson]

09:06 PM on 07/19/2011

Oh give it up! HUD's (heads up displays) were installed and used in Nissan cars in the late 80's early 90's, "jet fighter technology" bwahaha!

[rMatey]

07:24 PM on 07/19/2011

Oh, good. I thought the driver might be texting. Or just driving like an a@@hole.

[CHARLESTHETENTH]

07:10 PM on 07/19/2011

Technology is killing us in more ways than one. The obvious: Smart Bombs, Laser guided Missiles, Nuclear Submarines, Atomic Bombs, WMDs. The not so obvious: bigger ships, planes and the automobiles..all sucking up our natural resources. All kinds of electrical appliances, air conditioning and heating sources...again sucking up natural resources. Computers of all kinds using vast amounts of energy and the many computer games our children play which turn them into orphans. Many see Technology as a boom to mankind but at the same time it can be a curse. We may have taken several giant leaps forward but have we really ?? We have lost much along the way and technology is so relied on today that we cannot do without. Technology is man made with assurances that it will endure and move forward as History has shown but at what price. There was a time when Battlefields claimed hundreds of lives over the course of many days...now we can kill thousands in the blink of an eye. It has also taken an effect on our moral fabric as a society as we move further away from reality. We have become to complacent and rely on technology for all our needs...There will come a time when technology will no longer work for us as energy sources dry up and then we will have to face the true hardships of living.

[liberaldawg]

05:59 PM on 07/19/2011

Heads up display is an ideal technology for a car. The wifi, thats ok. The electronic note pad
is just another distraction.

[Leon Engelun]

05:01 PM on 07/19/2011

It has a lot of bells and whistles but no weapons like a real jet fighter. So what good is it?

[Tanrioldu]

11:57 PM on 07/19/2011

the James Bond edition comes with sidewinder missiles behind the headlights, a machine gun behind the license plate, as well as caltrops and oil slick released from the back.

[MichaelMcKLA]

03:10 AM on 07/20/2011

Oooooo! I want one! LOL

[Duffy Sinclair]

04:46 PM on 07/19/2011

Between myself and some of my friends over the years we've all owned various VW's and Audi's and all seem to end up having electrical problems. Engine great, gadgets not so reliable, therefore Audi putting more sophisticated electronics in their cars makes me leery of their reliability. Love the styling, ride and the comfort, but they need better electrical engineers doing the wiring, so to speak.

[JohnUSA]

04:31 PM on 07/19/2011

Let's break this down. Everything mentioned can be done using standard gadgets.
The heads up display: There is an app for that called Speedview, and probably countless others.
You can setup your phone as a wireless hotspot, connect your tablet with Google Maps/Earth or a 'driving' app and there you have it.
So, pretty cool, but definitely not like a jet.

[the964kid]

03:48 PM on 07/19/2011

BMWs and Cadillacs have had the heads-up display option for years.

[oftenon]

03:33 PM on 07/19/2011

Audi's been doing the jet thing awhile - when other vehicles went for blues & greens, my '97 had aircraft-style red dash lights - less fatiguing (even if it doesn't consciously register that way)

[LonosCurse]

03:32 PM on 07/19/2011

You want to impress me? Sidewinder missiles to clear traffic or 60 miles a gallon, either or.