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Comment by chli | Hacker News Reader

Strange that you mention the Audi A8L since I saw one for the first time a week ago in Monte Carlo. It's very rare even in Europe.

"The Audi A8 L is the first automobile in the world to be available with an integrated WLAN hotspot. A UMTS module provides the connection to the Internet."

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Is that really a big deal? I have a MiFi device that cost £70 or so that does that and works a treat in cars.

It's worth mentioning since it's integrated. It's the same reason something like Pandora integration would be worth mentioning despite the fact that many people could use Pandora with an FM tuner or 3.5mm to aux input (not to say the Audi A8L has Pandora).

Its funny that you say "rare even in Europe", since I wouldn't call the A8L to be rare in the US (at least on the east coast). I see different ages of them all the time.

Yeah, they're pretty common in the Bay Area too. S8 are still rare, though.

It's weird how German cars are so much more expensive in Europe, for the same spec, than in the US. And yet the US only gets the high-end/luxury versions of cars (engines, trims) from BMW/Mercedes/Audi, so the entry price points are comparable. (obviously even worse in places with high taxes or other restrictions; in UAE BMWs were about 2x the US price, and Singapore has the 100% tax)

I don't know when that was from, but a Wifi hotspot is optional equipment on any Mercedes (possibly excluding the 2dr SLK and SL)

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