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Forza 5 documents bringing Audi R18 E-Tron and Le Mans to game

Forza Motorsport 5 is set to come out on November 22 alongside the all-new Xbox One. As part of the launch lineup for a big new system, it shouldn't be a shock that Turn 10 Studios, the maker of the Forza series is going all out in promoting its new game. That's meant making interesting partnerships, like the one it enjoys with Top Gear.
Perhaps a less talked about alliance is between Audi and Turn 10. It's put on full display here, though, as Turn 10 documents the process of building Forza Motorsport 5 alongside Audi's quest at Le Mans, with both sides talking about what it takes to make a game and racing team work (they aren't as different as you might think).
There's also quite a bit of Le Mans and Audi-specific content coming with FM5. As with previous iterations of Forza Motorsport, gamers will have access to both the old and new Circuit de la Sarthe (the most notable difference between the two being the presence of Chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight). Audi will also be volunteering several of its vehicles for the new title, ranging from racers like the R18 e-tron Quattro and Audi Sport R8 to production rockets like the 2013 R8 V10 plus, 2006 RS4 and the 1983 Sport Quattro.

Audi to use this telepresence robot to fix cars

Next time you take your Audi in for service, watch to see if a little white stand is following your mechanic around. It's not some new measurement tool for your car; it's a actually a robot being controlled remotely to improve vehicle service. While bots playing a role in building cars is nothing new, the company is taking things a step further in the US by introducing Audi Robotic Telepresence to assist dealer technicians in repairing the brand's vehicles. The droids are already being used in a pilot program at about 18 dealers nationwide with plans to have it at 100 in the near future.
At the moment, ART, as its called, is more R2-D2 than The Terminator. It certainly won't be doing any wrenching on your A4 anytime soon because it doesn't even have arms. Instead, the robot comprises a remote-controlled stand with multiple cameras, a microphone and speakers. The bot is operated remotely by Audi Technical Assistance consultants and Technical Field Managers who can talk back-and-forth with mechanics about vehicle service and help to remotely diagnose problems. The droid is even equipped with a handheld camera and borescope to reach into tiny crevices.
Audi claims that ART is the first system of its kind to directly link automakers with technicians at the dealer level in this way and leads to faster, more accurate service for customers. Scroll down to watch a video of the bot in action and read the release for the current list of participating dealers.

BMW says SUVs killed the sports car market

In many ways, we're living in a golden age of automotive performance. After all, it's possible to show up at a Dodge dealer, hand over about $60,000 and storm away with a 707-horsepower Challenger Hellcat. Or for those who prefer a touch more luxury, the BMW M4, Mercedes-AMG C63 and latest Cadillac ATS-V offer between 425 and 503 horsepower, depending on your pick, with a bit more poshness. However, none of these powerful vehicles fit the classic definition of a two-place, droptop sports car, and according BMW head of sales Ian Robertson, that's because the segment is very much in the doldrums.
According to Robertson, two factors seriously wounded the classic sports car market. First, the global economic crisis of a few years ago put a serious hurt on sales, according to Bloomberg. Further worsening the situation, the boom in popularity of luxury SUVs and crossovers in the past few years hasn't allowed for much recovery. Even car-hungry China hasn't helped much because of the smog in many cities and preference among some of the very rich there to be chauffeured.
Combined, Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK sales peaked around 114,000 units a year in 2007, but they are only expected to reach 72,000 annually by the end of the decade. Robertson is pretty pessimistic about the market's comeback too. "Post-2008, it just collapsed. I'm not so sure it'll ever fully recover," he said to Bloomberg.