You couldn’t get more sophisticated office space than the new Audi A8 L
Every passing year, cars get technologically savvier. But technology no longer progresses in leaps and bounds. We have invented almost everything; now we see more incremental refinements.
Take the new Audi A8. It’s the flagship sedan for the manufacturer from Ingolstadt. Sixteen years ago, when the A8 was launched, it was Audi’s breakthrough car, much like the S-Class for Mercedes or the 7 Series for BMW. It brought to light the advantages of aluminium, revolutionising automotive construction with its aluminium Space Frame. The A8 mated space-age technology to a road car. It personified luxury, enveloped its occupants in supreme comfort and presented some of the best motive force engineered on the planet.
Today, the new A8 isn’t about to create the sort of waves it did 16 years ago. If anything, it is the most refined version of a car that began its journey a long time ago. Despite its imposing lines and personality, it is not just a stately executive limousine; the A8 has always been sporty and dynamic. So while it will be primarily chauffeur-driven in India, it does have the potential to excite its owner whenever s/he gets behind the wheel.
Based on the same Audi Space Frame, the new A8 L is considerably longer and wider than both the competition and its predecessor, which means more stretch room inside. But keeping in mind its dynamic aspirations, it is lower than its predecessor, with its centre of gravity well balanced at all times. At 5,267 mm, it is long by any standard, but at first glance the fluid lines and the large sculpted body panels cleverly disguise its dimensions. It certainly has immense road presence; more, in fact, than its predecessor. But it isn’t by any standards handsome. I have yet to find the stomach to digest that large grille, those canted LED headlamps, and the humongous air dams that cover that front end.
What is good looking is the interior: Flamboyant, with a casual elegance and flair more typical of Italians than Germans. I especially love the way the four colour tones and brushed aluminum insert make it look like the interior of a blue-water luxury yacht. Don’t miss the gear shift knob, styled to resemble the thrust selector of a yacht. In fact, to actuate the gears, all you have to do is tap the knob once in any direction to select the drive mode, after which the knob will return to its original position by itself.
There’s an immense array of features, and to list them out would exhaustthe magazine.
To note just three: the Wirelass LAN can provide Internet connectivity for up to eight terminals, making it a veritable office on the move; the new MMI touchpad delivers new levels of control for the infotainment and navigation systems (the nav system synchronises with Google Earth, providing real-time maps and additional information — simply scribble the name of the destination on the touchpad with your finger and it will locate it for you); and Audi’s presafe system, which mitigates both frontal and rear crashes, and in the event of an extreme crash situation even triggers maximum braking, bringing speeds down by nearly 40 kmph.
Rather than settle for the standard 14-speaker 630-watt output, you could opt for the top-of-the-line package: 19 speakers and 1,400 ear-splitting watts of sound. You could also choose to have the optional relaxation seat — placed behind the front passenger seat — which offers a power footrest and four programmed massage functions, with five intensity and speed levels, controlled by a remote control.
So much for the hedonism. What makes the A8 L special is that it will come to India with the immensely powerful W12 engine. This flagship 6.3-litre engine, now converted to FSI direct injection, will deliver 500 horsepower and 625Nm of max torque, giving it sportscar-like acceleration (0-100 kmph in 4.7 seconds, nearly as quick as a Lamborghini Gallardo).
This engine, which now sports slightly larger displacement, weighs just 247 kilos — it is cast from an aluminium silicon alloy — and has a high compression ratio of 11.8:1 to provide much required efficiency and an eco-conscious badge. It is not the only engine that will feature in India spec models; Audi confirmed that the 4.2 V8 petrol FSI with 372 horsepower and 445Nm torque will also be available.
While Audi confirmed that a diesel engine would be on offer, the choice — between the scintillating 4.2TDI, recently seen on the Q7, and the 3.0TDI — has yet to be made. Given how important diesel is to the Indian consumer, it is highly probable they will offer both options.
(This story appears in the 05 November, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)