As the successor to the Audi V8, the A8 has been the brand’s leading edge in the luxury sedan segment of Audi’s portfolio since 1994. The Audi A8 is a symbol of and a trailblazer for the status and prestige of the brand. The fourth generation of the luxury sedan, which Audi introduced in 2017, raised it to a new level with respect to power, look, and equipment. As an initial series model, the A8 revealed the future design language upon its launch and consequently it is essentially the progressive face of the brand to the present day. The sharpened design coupled with established technologies and outstanding comfort in the back seats define Audi’s premium conception in this segment. The sedan thereby represents the symbiosis of masterful comfort and sporty handling and it therefore covers the full breadth of driving experience. With sharpened design, particularly in the front and rear, and innovative technologies, Audi is ensuring the increased presence and sporty elegance of the A8. For that reason, the company with the four rings is even more intensively working out the confident and progressive character of the active luxury sedan. The new high-end headlights and taillights inspire with innovative functions and form the apex of the A8’s established technology portfolio. The flagship of the brand thereby creates a contemporary and user-oriented experience – whether for passengers or drivers.
The highlight of the enhanced A8 is the predictive active suspension. It can load or unload each wheel with additional power individually via an electric motor and thereby actively regulate the position of the chassis in any driving situation. Predictive active suspension gives the driving experience in the Audi A8 a fascinating range. When dynamic mode is on in the Audi drive select system, the large sedan shows its sporty side. In comfort+ mode, the predictive active suspension has a special feature: its integrated curve tilting function reduces the lateral acceleration that acts on the occupants. Upon entering a curve, it elevates the side of the body on the outside of the curve and lowers the other side, thereby tilting it into the curve up to three degrees. At speeds between 80 and 130 km/h (59.7 to 80.8 mph) and lateral acceleration of up to 0.4g, cornering is scarcely noticeable. While driving straight in comfort+, the predictive active suspension compensates for pitching movements in the chassis. To help with getting in and out of the car comfortably, the body raises and lowers itself by up to 50 mm (2 in.). The wheel range for the enhanced Audi A8, which goes from 18 to 21 inches, includes six new designs from Audi and Audi Sport. In top versions like the Audi S8, Audi offers carbon fiber ceramic brake disks as an option.
The 3.0 TFSI powers the Audi A8 55 TFSI quattro with 250 kW (340 PS). A variant with 210 kW (286 PS) is available in China. From 1,370 to 4,500 rpm, it pumps 500 Nm of torque into the crankshaft. From a standing start, it reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.6 seconds (L model: 5.7 seconds). To begin with, the enhanced Audi A8 is available with three motorizations. As a V6 engine, the 3.0 TFSI draws its power from three liters of displacement. The 4.0 TFSI, which is available for the A8 and the S8 in various output levels, distributes its four liters of displacement to eight cylinders with cylinder on demand technology. In the version for the A8 models, the 4.0 TFSI generates 338 kW (460 PS) and 660 Nm of torque, which are available between 1,850 and 4,500 1/min. These create very sporty performance: the A8 60 TSFI quattronand the A8 L 60 TFSI quattro both sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds. One highlight of the V8 is the cylinder on demand system (COD), which temporarily deactivates four cylinders for moderate driving. In brief, the A8 is also available as a Diesel engine; a plug-in hybrid model (PHEV) will follow.
The Audi S8 TSFI quattro is the sporty top model in the series. The biturbo V8 generates 420 kW (571 PS) of power and 800 Nm of torque from 2,050 to 4,500 rpm. It does a standard sprint in 3.8 seconds. The COD system also increases efficiency in the S8. Sound flaps in the exhaust system sharpen the sound, when desired. Additionally, the strongest model in the A8 family comes off the assembly line with particularly extensive standard equipment. Among other things, it comprises a unique combination of innovative suspension components. Only in the S8 are the predictive active suspension, sport differential, and dynamic all-wheel steering built in ex factory. With distinctive design elements in the interior and the exterior, the sporty character is purposefully staged. In the large markets of China, the US, Canada, and South Korea, the Audi S8 is being offered exclusively with a long wheelbase. The increased vehicle length and height mean significantly more comfort for occupants due to the additional head- and legroom. All the previously mentioned motorizations come with mild hybrid technology (MHEV) as a standard feature, which uses the A8’s 48-volt main electrical system. All engines in the Audi A8 are connected to a fast and gently toggling eight-step tiptronic. Thanks to an electric oil pump, the automatic transmission can change gears even when the combustion engine is not running.
The Audi A8 is a sedan that represents status and exudes authority – now that it has been reworked, its exterior is even more representative, confident, and athletic. The base of the Singleframe grill is now wider and chrome angles that increase in size from bottom to top adorn its grid. To summarize, the newly designed and precisely orchestrated design elements in the front area significantly increase the A8’s presence and authority and sharpen the profile of the brand’s top model. From a side view, the luxury sedan’s progressive character is particularly eyecatching. The roof dome runs flat. Stretched lines in the body of the car emphasize its length, wide wheel arches hint at the standard quattro drive system. In all model variants, the rocker panel area has a concave shape and ends in a blade pointing toward the road. The rear is dominated by wide chrome clasps, a customizable taillight signature with digital OLEDs, and a continuous, segmented light strip. The diffusor insert in the bumper is delicately accentuated and redesigned with horizontal bars. The Audi S8 presents four flow-optimized pipes under a circumferential contour – typical of the Audi S model. The color swatch for the A8 includes eleven colors, among them the new metallic district green, firmament blue, Manhattan gray, and ultra blue. Also new to the Audi A8 are five matte finishes – Daytona Gray, Floret Silver, District Green, Terra Gray, and Glacier White. In the Audi exclusive program, the car is painted in the customer’s chosen color.
