Leaked sketches hint at a sleeker Audi A8 with blazing Matrix Beam LED headlights

By Nick Jaynes August 16, 2013

audi sketches reveal sleeker a8 update refreshed3 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Frankfurt Auto Show, which happens only ever other year, is just around the corner, and the latest and greatest from the European automotive world will be on display there in mid-September.

The sketched beauty you see above is believed to be the refreshed 2016 Audi A8, which will be debuting in Frankfurt next month – according to Autocar.

Audi A8 refreshed2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

While the front and rear fascias will be updated, most of the changes will be found underneath the re-worked bodywork, including engine modifications – likely for both power and efficiency.

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On the technical front, the 2016 A8 will receive Audi’s LED Matrix Beam lighting system for the first time. Sadly for us Americans, however, we will not see the innovative lighting technology, as it is technically illegal – at the moment. Audi assures us, however, that it is working closely with federal regulators to tweak the law to allow the new lighting tech.

Audi A8 refreshed — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Audi is likely scrambling to keep up with the all-new 2014 Mercedes S-Class, which debuted in May. Will mild tweaks to the aging A8 steer buyers away from Mercedes showrooms? We’ll have to see.

Audi promises the official pictures of the refreshed A8 will be revealed next Wednesday so be sure to check back for official photos and details.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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Tesla posts exaggerate self-driving capacity, safety regulators say

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
In these instances, it appears that “the driver may not be aware that he or she is responsible” to make appropriate operational selections, or “fully understand” the nuances of the system, NHTSA said.
Meanwhile, “Tesla’s X (Twitter) account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Gregory Magno, the NHTSA’s vehicle defects chief investigator, wrote to Tesla in an email.
The postings, which included reposted YouTube videos, may encourage viewers to see FSD-supervised as a “Robotaxi” instead of a partially automated, driver-assist system that requires “persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno said.
In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
But Tesla’s self-driving technology has remained under the scrutiny of regulators. FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s technology relies on premapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), which might be very costly, but has met the approval of safety regulators.

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The Rivian R1S is often considered to be the best electric SUV out there right now, and while it's not cheap, it offers an excellent set of tech features, a long range, and more. So how does the Scout Traveler SUV compare with the R1S? We put the two vehicles head to head to find out.
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waymo data vulnerable road users ml still 1 ea18c3

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