20:11 23-11-2025

Audi's cup holder espresso maker: premium gimmick or hazard

Explore Audi’s €329 cup holder espresso maker: a premium accessory that brews in 2 minutes but raises safety, spill and practicality concerns on the road.

Audi has found a new way to turn heads — not with a powertrain or cutting-edge lighting, but with an accessory already being called one of the most absurd in years: a €329 mini coffee maker that slots into the cup holder.

The pitch is simple: it transforms an Audi driver into a refined European who can pull an espresso while inching through traffic. In practice, it looks more like an attempt to mix boiling water, pressure and hard braking into a single risky experiment. On paper, the idea sounds charming; behind the wheel, it feels more like a party trick than a daily companion.

Warm-up takes two minutes. That is long enough for a routine commute to tip into an adventure. One sudden swerve — and the cabin of a premium sedan turns into a fragrant blend of coffee, plastic and mild panic. Miss your mark, and the hot stream ends up everywhere but the cup.

The branded add-on is priced nearly on par with a set of illuminated Audi door sills — except those do not threaten your wardrobe or your well-being.

Premium? Yes. Practical? Hardly. At the very least, it has sparked plenty of amused discussion and serves as another reminder that even the most serious brands sometimes release things that probably should have stayed at the concept stage.