2009 Audi A8

The A8 – the flagship of the Audi brand – is a supremely powerful, highly cultivated top-class sedan. A sporty driving experience, assured comfort and striking elegance of design and interior fittings underscore its exceptional qualities. The A8 is not only the sportiest sedan in the luxury class, it is also one of the most efficient: The 2.8 FSI e model emits just 199 grams of CO2 per kilometer (320.26 g/mile) – by far the lowest of any gasoline engine in the segment.

Body and interior
The clearly defined, progressive design language of the Audi A8 is characterized by strong proportions and timeless quality. The body weighs just 215 kilograms (473.99 lb) – a sensational figure in the luxury class. It is made of aluminum, employing the Audi Space Frame (ASF) technique. That saves more than 110 kilograms (242.51 lb) compared to sheet steel. The Audi Space Frame is made up of aluminum castings and extruded sections into which the aluminum panels are integrated as load-sharing elements.

The construction of the A8 provides outstanding torsional rigidity and optimum passive safety. The interior is supremely quiet, thanks to the body's excellent vibration-proofing and the sophisticated acoustic design of the vehicle as a whole. The A8 is 5.06 meters (16.60 ft) long, or 5.19 meters (17.03 ft) in its stretched version.

The interior embodies the Audi philosophy of offering the highest quality and style. A wide range of exclusive colors and materials are available for surface finishes, decorative inlays, seats, door trims and the roof lining. The Audi exclusive program enables customers to personalize the interior precisely to their individual wishes.

The opulent and spacious interior and the comfortable seats provide the ultimate in relaxation and wellbeing. High-end versions of the electrically adjustable front seats also come with ventilation and massage features. For the rear too, Audi offers luxuriously comfortable single seats. The office packages, featuring folding tables and cool boxes, add even more luxury to the A8.

Drivetrain
The Audi A8 embodies sportiness in the luxury segment in a highly intelligent way. Its powerful FSI and TDI engines employ direct fuel injection. The 2.8 liter V6 gasoline unit features the Audi valvelift system, which varies the lift of the valves. Despite developing 154 kW (210 bp) of power and 280 Nm (206.52 lb-ft) of torque, the A8 2.8 FSI e consumes just 8.3 liters of fuel per 100 km (28.34 US mpg). The 4.2 TDI is fascinating in a different way: Its 240 kW (326 bp) power output and 650 Nm (479.42 lb-ft) of torque deliver sports car levels of dynamic performance.

The engine range:

Most variants of the A8 employ a six-speed tiptronic transmission system to distribute the power to the four driven wheels. For the 3.2 FSI front-wheel drive and the multitronic continuously variable transmission are also available; for the 2.8 FSI e they are the only available transmission option.

Suspension
Two attributes characterize the driving experience in the A8: the dynamic, light-footed handling and the high level of ride comfort. Both those strengths are founded on the aluminum chassis with its five-link front suspension and self-tracking trapezoidal link rear suspension. The four-stage adaptive air suspension is fitted as standard. Audi also offers it with a tighter setup as an option. The Audi A8 can optionally be fitted with up to 20-inch wheels. Behind them sits a set of powerful brakes with aluminum calipers.

Assistance and communications systems
With its wealth of features and fittings, the Audi A8 sets the benchmark in the luxury class. Audi also offers a wide range of optional extras for the model, including state-of-the-art assistance systems. Audi side assist warns if a lane change would be hazardous, Audi lane assist helps to keep the car in the chosen lane, and the Audi parking system advanced includes a rearview camera to monitor reversing movements. Then there is adaptive cruise control, which allows the driver to specify a desired distance from the vehicle in front and then opens and closes the throttle or applies the brakes slightly to maintain that distance.

The list of optional extras in the communication and entertainment field is also a long one. It extends from Rear Seat Entertainment, incorporating two monitors, to a Bang & Olufsen high-end sound system, delivering 1,000 watts of output in magnificent concert hall quality through 14 speakers. The top-of-the-range version of the MMI multimedia interface features a large hard disk, a DVD drive, a high-resolution seven-inch monitor with three-dimensional navigation mapping, and full-word voice control.

Audi A8 W12 quattro
The top-of-the-range A8 model is the exceptional Audi A8 W12. Its gasoline engine, with its 12 cylinders arranged in a W configuration, develops 331 kW (450 bp) of power from a 6.0 liter capacity. Its torque curve peaks at 580 Nm (427.79 lb-ft). The W12 engine is silky smooth and almost totally free from vibration. Even at full load, it has a truly musical sound.

The long-wheelbase A8 W12 sprints to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.2 seconds. The standard version is a tenth of a second faster off the blocks, thanks to its shorter final drive ratio among other reasons. While the stretched A8 W12 comes with adaptive air suspension and 18-inch wheels as standard, Audi fits the standard version with 19-inch wheels and the tighter air suspension setup. An ultra-light and strong brake system with ceramic disks is available for both body variants.

The interior of the top-of-the-range model features more aluminum and leather applications, a Bose sound system, heat-insulated windows, a hard disk navigation system and sports seats. The stretched version has even more luxury features onboard.

New design and equipment packages for Audi A8

Two new equipment packages can now be ordered for the Audi A8: the Audi comfort plus style package and the Audi sport plus style package. The new paint color Panther Black, crystal effect is now also available exclusively for the A8.

Equipped with the Audi comfort plus style package, the Audi A8 is finished in Night Blue, pearl effect and fitted with 19-inch forged aluminum wheels of 12-spoke design. The comfort seats are upholstered in silk beige Valcona leather; the full-leather trim for the center console, doors and dashboard is in silk beige Fine Nappa leather. The equipment package also includes heating for the front and rear seats, and front seats with seat ventilation and massage function. The "adaptive light" system with LED daytime running lights is another special feature. The Audi comfort plus style package costs between € 4,200 and €14,500, depending on engine version.

The Audi product program also includes the Audi sport plus style package with all-new Panther Black, crystal effect paint, which was developed exclusively for the A8. This package includes "adaptive light" with LED daytime running lights, sports seats in goa beige Valcona leather and heating for the front seats. The center console, doors and lower dashboard are trimmed in black Fine Nappa leather. 20-inch "S design" cast aluminum wheels in a dark steel finish round out the exterior of the new equipment version of the Audi A8.

The Audi sport plus style package costs between € 2,100 and € 9,600, depending on engine version.