BRILLIANT APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY, FINE DESIGN
Audi gained the respect of its limo-producing peers, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, when it launched the original A8 back in 1994.
It looked discreet rather than imposing, but the combination of its aluminium chassis, lovely V8 and rally-derived Quattro four-wheel-drive system earned it great respect. And the current A8 carries on the tradition. The exterior is less subtle but still understated and Audi's philosophy of design by rejection of the superfluous is evident. Looking like it has been hewn out of a solid block of metal, the A8 uses bold, confident lines, a high waist and huge wheel arches to deliver a broad-shouldered, planted look. The roof fits snugly, the headlight and tail-light cluster are mounted up high and the nose has a masculine, square-jawed look about it. It's attractive from the rear as well: the twin exhausts, the 4.2 badge and the tiny tail-lamps looking truly modern. Overall, it's understated and lacking in flash, but it has class by the tanker-load.
Built mostly out of aluminium, the A8 boasts the best weight-to-stiffness ratio, a factor that affects everything from performance and efficiency to ride quality, road grip and handling. Another differentiating factor of the A8L is the standard four-wheel-drive system. While the system is marginally heavier than a rear-wheel-drive-only unit, the advantage is that more power can be put to the ground under a number of conditions. Safer, more predictable and vice-free handling, especially in wet conditions, or during hard driving, is another benefit.
The A8L is suspended not on conventional coil springs, but on columns of air. The suspension arms are all-aluminium, the front suspension uses a double-wishbone setup, with the rear using a trapezoidal link design. The
rack-and-pinion steering system utilises variable ratios, so that feel and driving pleasure can be enhanced at high speeds. Also, aero efficiency is a class-leading 0.27, and there's a full body under-tray to aid stability at speed. Xenon lights are standard.