Photo: MQB Coding
Owners of VW Group cars have always been keen on upgrades, but these have been simple in the past, like fitting the Euro light switch on the US-spec GTI or retrofitting navigation.
The latest generation of cars based on the MQB platform are more technologically advanced, partly because this is what customers wanted, but also due to the vision of the companies.
And there is no piece of technology more famous than Audi's Virtual Cockpit system. It's a 12.3-inch screen that was first introduced on the TT coupe a few years ago. Since then, it's also been fitted to the R8, A4 and recently the Q5.
The A3, which was Audi's first MQB-based car, only received the Virtual Cockpit during its 2017 model year update.
We recently found out that the 12.3-inch screen can be retrofitted to the A3, in this case, a 2015 A3 sedan, from the Facebook posts of MQB Coding. We don't understand everything they are saying, but it seems this isn't a plug-and-play kind of mod. It requires re-coding of everything from the ABS to the connects of the car.
But the fact that it can be done should give Audi owners some hope. Virtual Cockpit has several advantages over a conventional dash, the main one being that it can display navigation in the middle.
However, MQB-Coding is working on putting all the other features from the facelift onto the 2015 A3. This includes a monitor for the pressure and temperature of each tire, a high-line reversing camera, parking tech and new software for the lane keep assist. The good news is that once the groundbreaking coding is done, it will be cheaper and simpler for everybody else to follow in the footsteps.
So why do this to a 2015 car and not just trade in for the newer model? For starters, it's interesting stuff, plus the Virtual Cockpit is an option you have to pay extra for anyway. Only time will tell if a front end skin graft is also possible, but we suspect that it is.
And there is no piece of technology more famous than Audi's Virtual Cockpit system. It's a 12.3-inch screen that was first introduced on the TT coupe a few years ago. Since then, it's also been fitted to the R8, A4 and recently the Q5.
The A3, which was Audi's first MQB-based car, only received the Virtual Cockpit during its 2017 model year update.
We recently found out that the 12.3-inch screen can be retrofitted to the A3, in this case, a 2015 A3 sedan, from the Facebook posts of MQB Coding. We don't understand everything they are saying, but it seems this isn't a plug-and-play kind of mod. It requires re-coding of everything from the ABS to the connects of the car.
But the fact that it can be done should give Audi owners some hope. Virtual Cockpit has several advantages over a conventional dash, the main one being that it can display navigation in the middle.
However, MQB-Coding is working on putting all the other features from the facelift onto the 2015 A3. This includes a monitor for the pressure and temperature of each tire, a high-line reversing camera, parking tech and new software for the lane keep assist. The good news is that once the groundbreaking coding is done, it will be cheaper and simpler for everybody else to follow in the footsteps.
So why do this to a 2015 car and not just trade in for the newer model? For starters, it's interesting stuff, plus the Virtual Cockpit is an option you have to pay extra for anyway. Only time will tell if a front end skin graft is also possible, but we suspect that it is.
Google News