With the rise and development of autonomous driving, some people have forgotten that for true enthusiasts, vehicles are not just a means of transportation and there is something special about the thrill of driving. The ad for the new Audi R8 Spyder demonstrates what would be missed if we had to live in a world of only autonomous cars.

Craig Gillespie, the director of  I, Tonya and Lars and the Real Girl, is the director behind this ad. It  begins with our protagonist David gazing out from the office windows, looking serious. An autonomous car arrives at his doorstep to take him home.

During the journey he is in deep thought and does not look amused, and the AI assistant asks him what the matter is. He says he is thinking about a time when he used to sit up there (i.e. at the driver’s seat) and mentions, “Driving wasn’t just about being taken from place to place… But going somewhere, feeling something along the way.” Moments of David driving an Audi Sport Quattro and a TT Coupe when he was younger are being shown to us. Upon reaching home he is still contemplating. When the AI assistant asks him to relax. “I’m afraid that’s just the problem,” he replies, drops his drink and runs to speed away in his R8 Spyder.

As much as the ad is set in a future with advanced technology, for some reason there is an underlining bleakness in it. Apart from getting showcasing the new R8 Spyder, the message seems to be: how we can avoid being over consumed by technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2B7U3WO9oA