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The new Audi A8 will be the first production car to offer integrated Google Earth as part of its in-car navigation system.

The new Audi A8, the latest luxury saloon from the German car maker, will be able to search and retrieve up-to-date information from the internet - via your existing mobile phone network - directly into the car's navigation system. The results will then be displayed on the onboard map and available to set as destinations for route calculation.

Customers will be able to plan their route on a home or office computer and retrieve the details on demand in the car - already an option across BMW and Mercedes. Users will also be able to search directly for points-of-interest such as petrol stations or, supermarkets.

First shown as a prototype at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the latest generation MMI sat-nav system features an 8-inch LCD, an incorporated touchpad, Google Earth's 3D satellite and aerial images and Street-View-style street network. The system will be backed-up by a database of photos and information articles.

The navigation system's multimedia interface will also analyse and relay information to the control units, adjusting the car's cruise control, lights and gearbox to suit conditions.

Expect first deliveries of the new model by April for the V8 model, and by September for the bigger-selling 3.0 TDI.

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