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Watch Audi cars hum the 'Star Trek' theme for the Emmys

Commentary: The Emmys broadcast is Sunday, so Audi got its R8, SQ5 and TT RS cars to play TV theme tunes with a classical orchestra.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


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A trio like no other. You may be thankful for that.

Audi/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

Your car may be, to you, like a musical instrument.

You keep it tuned. Your treat it with reverence. In turn, it emits just the right noises at the right time.

Inspired, perhaps, by such thoughts, Audi decided to get three of its allegedly more desirable motors to hum the theme tune to various famous TV shows. 

The cars were not alone in intoning these pieces of music. They were part of an orchestral ensemble featuring human beings and real musical instruments.

This all has an artistic purpose. It's all to coincide with Sunday's Emmy Awards broadcast on CBS (disclosure: CBS is CNET's parent company). Yes, that's the awards show where it seems like almost everyone wins.  

You might, however, want to give your own personal Emmy to the performance of the Audi R8 V10 Plus, TT RS and SQ5 trio as they perform the "Star Trek" theme, via their revving engines. Spock and friends were actually nominated for Best Drama in 1967. 

Here, though, the cars add a less than celestial whine to the harp and horns that try to faithfully deliver the melody.

I fear you may have to give it a couple of listens before you discern the tune at all.

Still, this didn't deter the Audi-ble trio from attempting the theme song to "Cheers," too. This was the winner of Outstanding Comedy Series in 1991. It was, indeed, that long ago. 

Here, the cars still display a range even more limited than your average Tesla's. They really are better hummers than players.

But the effort. Oh, my, the effort. In this one, I could make out the classic tune a little better. 

I can certainly see Simon Cowell signing up this trio and booking them a tour. Surely you'd go and see the Audi-ble Trio at Ceasar's Palace or the Hollywood Bowl. 

Then again, could you listen to 90 minutes of this? I have a feeling no human orchestra could put up with it.