When I spotted this video in my inbox, I couldn’t help but laugh. The footage of people sniffing cars with completely deadpan expressions cracked me up, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Imagine if dealers took delivery of cars and opened the door to a foul stench, and smell isn’t really something that can be measured by a computer, after all. It might look faintly comical, but this is a serious job, so I reached out to Audi for the official line on the ‘Nose Team’.

The Audi Odour Team, generally referred to as the “Nose Team,” is on the trail of unpleasant odours in vehicles. They work to ensure a consistently pleasant odour level in Audi vehicles. Plastic parts that give off unpleasant odours, leather that smells like fish oil or floor mats that exude an aroma of onions don’t stand a chance at Audi. The same goes for materials that can give off unhealthy emissions in the car. Around 500 different components from each model’s interior are analysed using the human nose as a measuring device. Audi applies the strictest standards in its fight against odours and sets the benchmark for the industry. The aim is not actually to achieve the “odourless” car, but rather the “neutral odour” car in which the customer feels at ease.

So there you have it. The more you know.