CNET On Cars - Driving the hottest RS Audi ever sold in the US - Ep. 38

Audi's RS7 is perhaps the perfect car if you can afford it; learn the new technology behind power steering; and top 5 car technologies for your parents.

[seinsmeld]

Very good 25 minutes of my time, keep it up!

[iamrichrocker]

there aren;t many Audi models i would not want..looks, performance and tech...and attention to detail in production..

[jasonl]

I can definitely see that quattro working in the rain. it's so cool

[Chilazr]

As always, another great episode.  I like having as much control over the vehicle as possible, so I like manual transmissions.  There are a lot (relatively) of motorcycles coming out that have auto-trans in them now too...Always glad to see more people on two wheels, but I think they're missing out.  Oh well, pretty sure that was the feeling with the auto-trans came out for cars.

[gucciaddict]

Love your series. Keep up the great work.

[docluv]

IMHO, the RS7 was by far the best and most stylish car at the NAIAS. It was especially good with the umber interior paired the contrasting color, hexagon stitching pattern. You could both see and feel the craftsmanship in the car.

[bobtelco]

always leave 3 seconds of time between the car in front of you and your car.
Time is a better indication than distance.  Look at a fixed object on the road surface that the car in front just passed and count... if you get to it before reaching 3 ...you're too close.

[RomainSandt]

I'm crazy or a video 3D demo in this video is credited Nissan but shows a Toyota Prius?!?!?!?!

[jgpwlcs]

18:23 I can't remember which model exactly but I could have sworn that Infiniti used a steer-by-wire system in one of their cars

[cilvrado]

Wow did someone flag this video for porn because of the RS7?? Why is it age-restricted?

[jgpwlcs]

Brian, why aren't DSG duel clutch transmissions good for city/ everyday driving use?

[joshbobst]

I recently learned that "L" is to jump forward in Youtube. I learned this strictly so I could skip the part in the intro where Cooley says "and are known for telling it like it is, " because listening to that makes me cringe. This isn't the nineties, Cnet, and you are not a shock jock.

[pinkzepp]

8:54 why won't you own it a day past its warranty?

[joshbobst]

Wait, electric power steering is just a big electric motor assisting you? I thought it was electromagnets in the rack, which I guess is still an electric motor, but a linear one.

[PastelitoPapi]

Hasn't the RS7 always been in the US? It's the RS6 that isn't here.

[DJaquithFL]

For a $111K .. I'll stick with my S550. While I appreciate 'track performance' I'm stuck to 70 (...90) MPH on the USA highways, not to mention butt comfort. I guess if I wanted stupid on the road then E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC or a full-on sports car.

These cars need tethering or some form of 'plug-in' to allow for all of the World's wireless carriers; they're always 1-gen behind. *I'm still waiting for Auto/Self-Drive!*

[videowsatcher]

in aus taught 3 seconds dry, 4 seconds wet. count 1001 1002 1003 after the car in front passes say a tree or post and see after what time you pass that mark. Prob only relevant for cars and not trucks

[johntechwriter]

A car show for smart people. What a concept!

While I accept the inevitability of auto trans, electric steering, and driving nannies, I can't help but conclude the golden age of enthusiast driving is coming to a close. As the manufacturers drop their V8s to meet upcoming CAFE standards, and implement driver-assist technology like torque vectoring that reduces the skill required to drive quickly and smoothly, the motorheads of my (boomer) generation graciously give way to the utilitarian-minded millennials.

We old-schoolers perceive greater elegance in mechanical tech when it does with hydraulics and gears the cool things software designers can implement using computer code and "smart" hardware. Case in point: steering systems. My old Jag XJ's hydraulic steering incorporates variable assist (less assist at higher speed) and variable ratio (more turn-in with less steering wheel rotation the further away from center). Probably this system consumes several horsepower, but to an enthusiast the road feedback and driveability enhancement are the source of great satisfaction. We can hope electric steering evolves to provide good road feel and the variable features I've just described, but who is going to demand these refinements? Certainly not the new generation of drivers.

As I said, we're coming out of a golden age. As a lifelong motorhead I consider myself fortunate to have lived through it. 

[videowsatcher]

saving $500 of gas across ten years. lol. thats peanuts for most people in countries with advanced economies. i prefer more steering feel which most electric steering systems cant match from what I have read. Having no direct connection is just crazy in terms of safety.

[respekted]

Purists aren't crying about the doom of an old technology.   No, we are decrying the loss of steering FEEL!   The most significant conduit of information about what the car is doing is the steering and such a big portion of the driving enjoyment. 

But I wouldn't expect a channel geared toward NEW tech would appreciate that.   Good info anyway, but please don't group us Purists are old fashion farts