New Audi supercar to host digital rear-view mirror

Supercars are always on the verge of innovation – creating vehicles that are more exclusive, with better features and increased efficiency. Leading groundbreaking research, automobile powerhouse Audi are quickly adapting their racing technology to production cars, creating the first of a new generation of supercars that benefit from professional competitive driving techniques.

Audi have a string of technology under their belt that have created some of the fastest racing cars in the world. These include quattro, Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) and ultra lightweight technology. And now, Audi are bringing their latest innovation to their production line promising customers the next step up in luxury supercars.

Audi’s brand new R18 Le Mans prototype that won the prestigious 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race will now feature in the upcoming 2013 Audi R8 e-tron. The R18 Le Mans prototype is unique in that it has no rear window. However, piloting this advanced technology is easier than it sounds – Audi engineers have installed a digital rear-view mirror that transfers videos picked up by a small camera attached to the rear of the vehicle onto a 7.7-inch screen.

The small camera that is barely a few millimetres in diameter picks up a greater range than a traditional rear-view mirror. Along with the increased scope of vision, the tiny camera also has mechanism in place that keeps it warm during cold winter months.

The digital screen relaying images to the driver is created from AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) elements, developed by Samsung and self-illuminating at a low voltage. What this means is that the screen doesn’t need backlighting, and boasts the option for dimming or deactivating the display at any time.

The Audi R8 e-tron will be released later this year.