General Introduction

A fully-size luxury car, the Audi A8 was built to replace the V8 model. Primary rivals of the said make are the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S Class. It is at the same price category and size with the Lexus LS 430, the Jaguar XJ8, and the Volkswagen Phaeton. It has consistently remained the most popular alternative to these long-running rivals ever since it was fully released in 1994. The tiptronic or multitronic automatic transmission and the Quattro all-wheel drive standard are featured in most versions of the model.

A Look In The Past
Although it was made available in North America only in 1997, the Audi A8 made its debut in 1994 in Europe. Unlike the V8 model that was built on a steel platform, the Audi A8 debuted on the then-new D2 platform, which is basically a space frame that was made from aluminum adding to a significant reduction in weight sans the rigidity. The sedan was made available in both the A8L long-wheelbase and the A8L version. The A8L primarily has five inches of extra wheelbase wholly focused to the rear-seat space. Aside from being the world's first-ever car designed and produced with an entirely aluminum platform, car upgrades in 1997 brought the addition of six other interior airbags that made this Audi the first and only vehicle to be equipped with such.

Engine

Aside from being available in long and short wheel base forms, the new A8 was made with front-wheel drive or the all-wheel drive Quattro in 1997. The former (four-wheel drive) is revved up by a 230 hp producing 3.7L V8 engine, while the latter (Quattro) is powered up by the 300 hp-producing 4.2L V8. As a luxury car, the Audi A8 has all the basic amenities that should be seen in cars of its level and class like real wood and leather interior design, dual-zone climate control, fourteen-way power and heated seats, and the popular Bose audio system. Audi's model car underwent some changes for 1999 with new great colors and some restructuring. The warm weather package was designed with a solar sunroof that would enable the car model to use the air-conditioning or heating system without the motor of the car running. Modifications to all models also included a regular-sized passenger mirror in lieu of the tiny one that was present on all previous Audis—and a small and handy first aid kit found at the rear armrest.

The 2000 Audi A8 saw an overall front-to-end renovating with greater, bigger, clearer headlights, a lower front valance, a revised grill, and standard projection fog lamps. Inside, the car seats got the unique horizontal stitch pattern unlike the many vertical lines of other cars. The powerful 4.2 Quattro as well as the 4.2L Quattro were continuously produced, while the production of the 3.7 L model was dropped. Differences between these two models can be seen in the added spaces in the rear legroom, the 4.2 navigation system, and the new heated rear seats.

Modifications To The Car

In 2001, however, the A8 obtained minor modifications. There ws the introduction of the side guard side-curtain airbags which were so far the most major. The world was surprised with news in the same year when they introduced the W12 engine. The W12 engine was a compact and powerful 6.0 L unit which worked by the fusion of two 3.0 L VR6 engines at the crankshaft. This was based on the 3.6 L engine from the V8 model that was created by having the cylinder engines set at the crankshaft. Eventually, the engine was applied in the A8, but only for the European and Asian customers. Up until 2003, only 750 of this kind were reportedly produced.

In 2005, the German manufacturer changed the D3 platform A8 range somehow and gave it a taller and wider single-framed grille based on the Nuvolari. Latest Audi makes down to the Audi A3 have made use of this style and design. Aside from these styling modifications, new engines were made available to the European and Asian market. The 3.0 V6 was changed with a 3.2 L unit that highlights FSI. More importantly was the introduction of the 4.2 L Diesel V8 engine that gave out 240 kW (326 PS) of power—the most powerful diesel engine Audi has designed in a passenger vehicle.