Fourtitude Driven: 2011 Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro
#1
02-18-2010, 10:48 PM
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Memphis, TN
Posts: 632
Fourtitude Driven: 2011 Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro
Thought I'd share this, it's the first driving impression/review article I've read where they have actually been behind the wheel. Looks like the new A8 has got some pretty cool tech to shake up the segment with!
------
Feb 17, 2010
by: George Achorn, photos by Audi and author
Were I to ask which car is most important to Audi’s image, most here would insist it be the brand’s attainable exotic, the coveted R8. Ask the guy on the street about Audi and he’d likely reference the R8 first. I wouldn’t argue any of that but I’d still submit that it is not the R8 nor the best-selling A4 that carries the most Audi marbles. Personally, I think that title goes to the A8, the brand’s aspirational big sedan. It’s what the A4 wants to be when it grows up. And that feeling is even stronger now that we’ve spend a few days in the latest generation car in and around the Mediterranean resort town of Estepona, Spain.
You see, one doesn’t just design a flagship. While it won’t deliver huge numbers on monthly sales charts or boil the blood like a mid-engine supercar, the A8 does represent Audi’s leading edge in technology, luxury and design. It always has really, since the very inception of the D-chassis line of Ingolstadt offerings.
Audi’s first foray into the segment came in 1988 with the advent of the V8 (D1). Styling was close to, if not nearly the same as, Audi’s C-segment 200 model. Drivetrain upgrades including a V8 engine for which it earned its name and standard quattro all-wheel drive unique in the class were combined with the most luxurious accoutrements seen on an Audi road car in the post war era. As a result, the V8 helped Audi earn a foothold in the D segment.
By its second generation (1994,) the Audi range-topper shed the generic V8 name for the more widely known ‘A8’ moniker still used today. Even more significantly, Audi transitioned the shared steel body to a more grand and modern design – one made entirely of aluminum through use of the brand’s revolutionary Audi Space Frame (ASF) design.
A third, more luxurious and dynamically designed generation debuted in 2003. This car’s ASF evolved into an even more rigid structure, but it was the revolutionary MMI system inside that really raised the bar this third time round. Where BMW had just released the controversial first-generation iDrive system, Audi’s MMI with unique ‘Return’ function was a more intuitive take on the all-inclusive multi-function infotainment concept. The car would also be the first to carry Audi’s modern shield grille when it was facelifted in 2005.
Now here it is, the fourth generation of Audi’s D-segment sedan, and Ingolstadt was challenged to raise the bar yet again. This time around there is no single technology that changes the game. Rather, Audi’s engineers have hit hard on a number of levels by pushing the envelopes of technology, safety, driving dynamics, luxury and the increasingly important field of infotainment.
Since its reveal at Design Miami, the A8’s new look has caused plenty of conversation. One dig that tends to carry weight is that the car is too close in general appearance to the current A4 – a critique that may carry some truth even if that is a bit of an oversimplification. The design uses many modern design cues as shown most recently on the A4, but it also clearly evolves the look with a more substantial looking chrome-accented, reshaped grille and unique lighting assemblies complete with more LEDs than we’ve seen before on any production car. Like many modern Audis, the design is simple in its overall form but complex in the details, with core lines that define the family heritage. At the same time it has a shape that makes photographs from certain angles much more attractive than those from the wrong ones. Seeing it in person gives viewers a new appreciation you won’t find in many photos.
One thing that isn’t debatable is the car’s size. At nearly 17 feet long (5137 mm) and over six feet wide (1949 mm), the A8 outstretches both the Audi it replaces and its equivalent short-wheelbase rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz .
That new Audi grille bestows the car with an even wider appearance while a nearly vertical crease on the front fascia that continues down from the headlight’s outermost edge and continues around into the lower intakes seems inspired by the R8’s own more edgy look. Audi’s signature Tornado line stretches from the headlight to the tail.
Visually, the car seems more substantial than its predecessor – larger and heavier and more in line with its German competition. Surprisingly, we’re told the final design was changed and a previously favored form was actually taller.
This is the third A8 to utilize an aluminum space frame and, not surprisingly, the ASF has evolved considerably. Audi sites bionic inspiration in its latest design, using structural forms that are proven to work in nature such as friction connections between aluminum panels much like bones in a human skeleton. Thirteen different kinds of aluminum alloy are employed in the construction of the body and, like the latest TT, they’ve now incorporated high-strength steel, here in the B-pillar, for increased side impact protection. Though larger than its predecessor, the structure of the D4 A8 is 20 percent lighter.
Reducing weight was just one priority in the design of car’s body. Reducing drag and wind noise were also very important. The 4.2 V8’s .26 drag coefficient is actually better than the smaller car it replaces and a new door seal, sunroof design and other subtle details keep slipstream noise to an absolute minimum.
Lighting has become a major component of modern Audi design and the A8 takes this to a whole new level. In Europe there are no less than three headlight configurations available. One Xenon (two in Europe) system will be offered as more standard fare, but it is the all-LED system that is most revolutionary. A more radical design is only one benefit. Light emitted is also closer to daylight, making it less tiring for the eyes. The diodes are also zero maintenance meaning they’re good for the life of the car.
Networked with a video camera mounted behind the rearview mirror and the MMI system with its GPS functions, the A8 is able to recognize oncoming cars and adjust optimum lighting accordingly. Via GPS it can determine the road layout and respond accordingly, activating cornering lights for wider illumination in an intersection or adjusting from driving on the right to driving on the left if, for instance, you travel from left-hand-drive continental Europe to right-hand-drive England.
For now the only engine offering coming to America is the 4.2-liter V8 badged simply as ‘FSI’. The displacement may sound familiar but this is a new generation of the stalwart Audi motor and it is up 22 horsepower to 372 and up 3 lb-ft of torque, to 328.
This latest evolution of the gas-powered 4.2 also benefits from a two-stage chain drive with trioval chain wheels requiring less tensile force, a two-stage oil pump, and optimized piston rings. Components such as the air conditioning compressor and alternator can be decoupled or more efficiently used to lessen parasitic drag on the engine.
The V8’s block is made from a lightweight aluminum and silicon alloy, allowing for a lighter mill that also helps in handling with less weight positioned in the nose. Fitted in this newer, lighter A8 and paired with an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission, Audi claims 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds and 13 percent better fuel economy than its predecessor--24.76 mpg according to the European measurement cycle.
While new design, hardware and efficiency are all very important, it is likely the car’s lavish cabin will decide how the car will be judged. Audi is known as an industry benchmark for interiors and the A8 is at the leading edge of that paradigm. The subtle yacht theme that began in the previous model continues to inspire this latest Audi Q-ship, most notably with an uninterrupted wraparound arch spanning from dashboard to rear parcel shelf. A handsome nautical-look shifter also doubles as a comfortable handrest.
The rest of the cabin is a harmonic chorus of stitched leather, wood, and alloy. Elements such as a new-for-Audi analog clock are classic while aluminum coated buttons with precision cut backlit letters and two large panel screens, one in the instrument cluster and the traditional center stage pop-up position, bestow the car with a decidedly richer and more modern feel.
The two-piece inlays around the beltline of the cabin are familiar but evolved. Here again exotic wood inlays are the main component with accenting piano black or aluminum trim as an option that we hear may be a differentiator for North American A8s and long-wheelbase A8Ls.
Slide into the newer and more opulent front seats and your glutes tell you this is clearly the most comfortable throne in the Audi fleet. One can adjust the seats 12 ways, though it’ll likely be the heating, cooling and massage functions that win you over the most. Diamond-stitch patterned sport seats will be an option at launch in Europe though they’re still being evaluated for America – perhaps something that will meet approval when the inevitable S8 model is launched.
Place your hand on the steering wheel and the subtle changes of the car continue to identify themselves. Controls are similar to before, but the slightly smaller diameter wheel makes it feel a bit more sporty while double-stitched trim on the airbag bestows a richer feel. A three-spoke sport wheel will be optional.
Peering through the spokes of the steering wheel your eyes will be drawn to the large multi-function screen in the center of the instrument cluster. Not your traditional LCD rectangle, this high-resolution display and all associated content are seamlessly placed between the rounded speedometer and tachometer in a way that seems natural even though it’s far from the standard shape of any LCD we’ve known prior. Graphics are considerably evolved since the old car, with great looking CGIs of the A8 for functions requiring it and a feed from the optional night vision display piped in for easy viewing. The usual audio, telephone, navigation and vehicle function displays are also housed here albeit in a much more refined presentation.
Whereas the previous A8 introduced Audi’s MMI system, this latest generation evolves the all-inclusive infotainment system, bestowing it with even greater functionality while at the same time making basic tasks easier to perform. The rotary dial, back button and four-corner hot buttons on each menu remain, though critical new elements have also been added. A menu button will now take you ‘home’ within the system if you wish to easily return to the beginning. Other basic functions such as track selection, HVAC controls and even radio presets now get their own dedicated buttons making it unnecessary to use MMI for those functions if that is what is desired.
Most revolutionary is an iPod-like touchpad referred to by Audi as “MMI touch” located to the left of the rotary control. Searching your telephone directory or points of interest within the integrated Google maps address data is performed easily by writing desired letters with your fingertip, which allows the driver to keep his eyes on the road while searching. Place MMI in radio mode and the numbers one through six display for direct radio preset navigation. Apparently Audi chose not to go with 1-10 with zero representing ten, which could also double as a keypad for phone dialing, because in testing this sort of phone dialing took the driver’s eyes away from the road for too long. Writing the numbers can be done more naturally without removing one’s eyes from the road.
Emphasizing the info side of infotainment, Audi has announced an association with Google. The main benefit to this will be wireless connectivity to Google Maps for point of interest and directory data. Certain news will also be available via MMI as well while a 3G WiFi network will be available for passengers. Audi of America is currently in discussions with mobile wireless providers and the actual hardware utilized in American-bound A8s will likely be mounted in the dashboard where mobile phone SIM cards are integrated for Europe - within a slot in the dash that also houses a DVD/CD player and memory card slots for digital music storage.
For the D4 Audi has also now networked an optional rear MMI system complete with two large screens mounted on each front seatback and controls mounted within the rear seat armrest. Audio content is sent to Audi-logoed wireless headphones and, much like the Business Class flying experience on Lufthansa, passengers can choose from a range of audio and video options or simply follow the on-board navigation to monitor travel progress.
Audi of America tells us they’ve pushed hard to get very competitive pricing for the rear seat entertainment system, something that will likely see a very high install rate in North America-bound A8s. The system takes the rear seat experience to a new level with highly intuitive operation for an Audi owner, but controls will unfortunately be inaccessible if a third rear seat passenger is obstructing the armrest.
One traditionally popular option that has been carried over and improved upon is the Bang & Olufsen audio system, only this time the system’s integration was planned since the very beginning of A8 development. In D3 cars, it was added after the car had been in production for several years. Five more speakers have been added, totalling 19, including a three-way speaker system in each door and two-way speaker configuration on the parcel shelf. This is all combined with redesigned motorized sound lenses at the front for even better sound delivery. Aluminum speaker grilles for the midrange and woofers throughout the cabin have also been redesigned to flow more naturally with the look of the Audi’s interior, while improved speaker cabinets minimize vibrations and help keep hands-free telephone audio from emanating outside the car thus ensuring privacy. Within the MMI system there is also a new ‘Movie’ setting for optimized audio associated with movie playback that works with the optional rear seat presentation or as one hell of a delivery system at a drive-in theatre.
Audi has also made a number of significant additions in active and passive safety for the A8. One major development is the multi-level pre-sense systems. Using primarily sensors from the ESP system, the A8 is able to prepare itself for an imminent collision by activating the hazard lights, closing windows and sunroof, and tensioning the seatbelt. As a reminder, you’ll notice the A8 lightly tension the seatbelt every time you start the car. A second level of pre sense networks in data from the adaptive cruise control and side assist hardware to help the car’s processor make an even more accurate assessment of the situation, brakes can be pre-tensioned, the car will warn the driver through both a chime and a rapid on-off application of the brakes, eventually even braking at the last possible moment to minimize impact.
Night vision functionality has also been added to the A8’s list of tech, sensed from a camera mounted behind the A8’s leftmost silver ring within the grille, imagery with pedestrian marking can be streamed to the information screen within the instrument cluster.
Out on the road, the A8 is surprisingly quick and agile. Stats like a more powerful V8 and lighter weight would seem to make this obvious, but the more substantive design heft makes you think you’re getting into a heavier car. A more solid thunk of the door closing just adds to that perception. Numbers win out over subjective impression though and the A8 is both quicker and more agile as we noted while careening down Spanish seaside roads in the car. As with all of the latest Audis using the company’s modular MLB chassis basis for their architecture, the A8 benefits from physical placement of the engine slightly further back in the structure for better balance while other hardware upgrades like Audi Drive Select and the awesome Sport Differential first seen in the S4 were equipped in our grey example and will likely be optional for American versions.
All of this kit functions the same, but when paired with the slick new shift-by-wire gear selector it all seems more harmonious. For one, shifts from Audi’s new eight-speed Tiptronic automatic are decidedly quick. Also, just a single pull on the handle will drop the car into Sport mode. Whereas you’d be fiddling with MMI to set up custom driver setup if you prefer sporty handling but don’t care to keep the revs high all the time, the driver can now simply drop the car into sane roadgoing shift patterns even if you are in the Le Mans inspired sport mode.
This is the first time we’ve seen Audi Drive Select applied to an air suspension and the pairing works well. The suspension itself offers the same level of height functionality as before, but it more rapidly changes from sport to luxury settings and handling seems more natural than the air suspension on the car’s predecessor.
As for the latest MMI, winding Spanish roads requiring concentration left us with a truncated experience. These types of systems are never truly understood until you can spend more time with them than our several hour test drive, but our short time behind the wheel and sitting in static display A8s near our hotel left us in awe of the new Bang & Olufsen sound and truly appreciating the touchpad even though Google wasn’t activated in our test vehicle.
Returning the car to our little hotel overlooking the Mediterranean, we took one last look at the big sedan. The design is elegant and perhaps just a bit too evolutionary. The more upright profile of the new A8 reminds us of critiques suggesting the car is not as aggressively designed when considered alongside the more avant-garde Jaguar XJ or the Maserati Quattroporte. That’s not really the point though as Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen pointed out to us later in conversation. With the more coupe-like A7 coming into the Audi range, A8 designers had even more flexibility to go with a more substantial sedan design that is targeted more at the more traditional Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7-series sedans and less at so at its low-slung competition from Italy and the UK. That they did so and the car still both handles better, carries more standard luxury and burns less fuel is even more impressive.
Given the traditional nature of the segment, we suspect there will always be those who still love the old car – and a handsome one it remains. Demand is still strong says de Nysschen, who also revealed that Audi will build one last run of A8s bound for America before changing the line over for the new car. That inventory will have to last America until late this year when the new car finally arrives alongside a slightly differentiated long-wheelbase A8L. However, the option to bring the short wheelbase car earlier is there should this last run of D3 A8s move faster than expected.
In Europe the A8 will be initially available with the as-sampled 4.2 FSI, the 4.2 TDI and two improved variations of the 3.0 TDI – a more frugal version paired with front-wheel drive and more powerful version paired with quattro. A new W12 will come later and a twin turbo 4.0T FSI V8 is expected in the S8.
Audi of America sells a roughly 80 percent split of long-wheelbase versions but will continue to sell the short wheelbase as this helps build the business case for the S8. The S-car and the W12 will both make it stateside and rumors are that Audi is also considering the more powerful 3.0 TDI as well. Where this leaves the A8 hybrid remains to be seen, but we did make a point in testing the 3.0 TDI while in Spain and a much shorter review of that car will be published shortly.
Here is a Link to the article: Driven: 2011 Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro
------
Feb 17, 2010
by: George Achorn, photos by Audi and author
Were I to ask which car is most important to Audi’s image, most here would insist it be the brand’s attainable exotic, the coveted R8. Ask the guy on the street about Audi and he’d likely reference the R8 first. I wouldn’t argue any of that but I’d still submit that it is not the R8 nor the best-selling A4 that carries the most Audi marbles. Personally, I think that title goes to the A8, the brand’s aspirational big sedan. It’s what the A4 wants to be when it grows up. And that feeling is even stronger now that we’ve spend a few days in the latest generation car in and around the Mediterranean resort town of Estepona, Spain.
You see, one doesn’t just design a flagship. While it won’t deliver huge numbers on monthly sales charts or boil the blood like a mid-engine supercar, the A8 does represent Audi’s leading edge in technology, luxury and design. It always has really, since the very inception of the D-chassis line of Ingolstadt offerings.
Audi’s first foray into the segment came in 1988 with the advent of the V8 (D1). Styling was close to, if not nearly the same as, Audi’s C-segment 200 model. Drivetrain upgrades including a V8 engine for which it earned its name and standard quattro all-wheel drive unique in the class were combined with the most luxurious accoutrements seen on an Audi road car in the post war era. As a result, the V8 helped Audi earn a foothold in the D segment.
By its second generation (1994,) the Audi range-topper shed the generic V8 name for the more widely known ‘A8’ moniker still used today. Even more significantly, Audi transitioned the shared steel body to a more grand and modern design – one made entirely of aluminum through use of the brand’s revolutionary Audi Space Frame (ASF) design.
A third, more luxurious and dynamically designed generation debuted in 2003. This car’s ASF evolved into an even more rigid structure, but it was the revolutionary MMI system inside that really raised the bar this third time round. Where BMW had just released the controversial first-generation iDrive system, Audi’s MMI with unique ‘Return’ function was a more intuitive take on the all-inclusive multi-function infotainment concept. The car would also be the first to carry Audi’s modern shield grille when it was facelifted in 2005.
Now here it is, the fourth generation of Audi’s D-segment sedan, and Ingolstadt was challenged to raise the bar yet again. This time around there is no single technology that changes the game. Rather, Audi’s engineers have hit hard on a number of levels by pushing the envelopes of technology, safety, driving dynamics, luxury and the increasingly important field of infotainment.
Since its reveal at Design Miami, the A8’s new look has caused plenty of conversation. One dig that tends to carry weight is that the car is too close in general appearance to the current A4 – a critique that may carry some truth even if that is a bit of an oversimplification. The design uses many modern design cues as shown most recently on the A4, but it also clearly evolves the look with a more substantial looking chrome-accented, reshaped grille and unique lighting assemblies complete with more LEDs than we’ve seen before on any production car. Like many modern Audis, the design is simple in its overall form but complex in the details, with core lines that define the family heritage. At the same time it has a shape that makes photographs from certain angles much more attractive than those from the wrong ones. Seeing it in person gives viewers a new appreciation you won’t find in many photos.
One thing that isn’t debatable is the car’s size. At nearly 17 feet long (5137 mm) and over six feet wide (1949 mm), the A8 outstretches both the Audi it replaces and its equivalent short-wheelbase rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz .
That new Audi grille bestows the car with an even wider appearance while a nearly vertical crease on the front fascia that continues down from the headlight’s outermost edge and continues around into the lower intakes seems inspired by the R8’s own more edgy look. Audi’s signature Tornado line stretches from the headlight to the tail.
Visually, the car seems more substantial than its predecessor – larger and heavier and more in line with its German competition. Surprisingly, we’re told the final design was changed and a previously favored form was actually taller.
This is the third A8 to utilize an aluminum space frame and, not surprisingly, the ASF has evolved considerably. Audi sites bionic inspiration in its latest design, using structural forms that are proven to work in nature such as friction connections between aluminum panels much like bones in a human skeleton. Thirteen different kinds of aluminum alloy are employed in the construction of the body and, like the latest TT, they’ve now incorporated high-strength steel, here in the B-pillar, for increased side impact protection. Though larger than its predecessor, the structure of the D4 A8 is 20 percent lighter.
Reducing weight was just one priority in the design of car’s body. Reducing drag and wind noise were also very important. The 4.2 V8’s .26 drag coefficient is actually better than the smaller car it replaces and a new door seal, sunroof design and other subtle details keep slipstream noise to an absolute minimum.
Lighting has become a major component of modern Audi design and the A8 takes this to a whole new level. In Europe there are no less than three headlight configurations available. One Xenon (two in Europe) system will be offered as more standard fare, but it is the all-LED system that is most revolutionary. A more radical design is only one benefit. Light emitted is also closer to daylight, making it less tiring for the eyes. The diodes are also zero maintenance meaning they’re good for the life of the car.
Networked with a video camera mounted behind the rearview mirror and the MMI system with its GPS functions, the A8 is able to recognize oncoming cars and adjust optimum lighting accordingly. Via GPS it can determine the road layout and respond accordingly, activating cornering lights for wider illumination in an intersection or adjusting from driving on the right to driving on the left if, for instance, you travel from left-hand-drive continental Europe to right-hand-drive England.
For now the only engine offering coming to America is the 4.2-liter V8 badged simply as ‘FSI’. The displacement may sound familiar but this is a new generation of the stalwart Audi motor and it is up 22 horsepower to 372 and up 3 lb-ft of torque, to 328.This latest evolution of the gas-powered 4.2 also benefits from a two-stage chain drive with trioval chain wheels requiring less tensile force, a two-stage oil pump, and optimized piston rings. Components such as the air conditioning compressor and alternator can be decoupled or more efficiently used to lessen parasitic drag on the engine.
The V8’s block is made from a lightweight aluminum and silicon alloy, allowing for a lighter mill that also helps in handling with less weight positioned in the nose. Fitted in this newer, lighter A8 and paired with an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission, Audi claims 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds and 13 percent better fuel economy than its predecessor--24.76 mpg according to the European measurement cycle.
While new design, hardware and efficiency are all very important, it is likely the car’s lavish cabin will decide how the car will be judged. Audi is known as an industry benchmark for interiors and the A8 is at the leading edge of that paradigm. The subtle yacht theme that began in the previous model continues to inspire this latest Audi Q-ship, most notably with an uninterrupted wraparound arch spanning from dashboard to rear parcel shelf. A handsome nautical-look shifter also doubles as a comfortable handrest.
The rest of the cabin is a harmonic chorus of stitched leather, wood, and alloy. Elements such as a new-for-Audi analog clock are classic while aluminum coated buttons with precision cut backlit letters and two large panel screens, one in the instrument cluster and the traditional center stage pop-up position, bestow the car with a decidedly richer and more modern feel.
The two-piece inlays around the beltline of the cabin are familiar but evolved. Here again exotic wood inlays are the main component with accenting piano black or aluminum trim as an option that we hear may be a differentiator for North American A8s and long-wheelbase A8Ls.
Slide into the newer and more opulent front seats and your glutes tell you this is clearly the most comfortable throne in the Audi fleet. One can adjust the seats 12 ways, though it’ll likely be the heating, cooling and massage functions that win you over the most. Diamond-stitch patterned sport seats will be an option at launch in Europe though they’re still being evaluated for America – perhaps something that will meet approval when the inevitable S8 model is launched.
Place your hand on the steering wheel and the subtle changes of the car continue to identify themselves. Controls are similar to before, but the slightly smaller diameter wheel makes it feel a bit more sporty while double-stitched trim on the airbag bestows a richer feel. A three-spoke sport wheel will be optional.
Peering through the spokes of the steering wheel your eyes will be drawn to the large multi-function screen in the center of the instrument cluster. Not your traditional LCD rectangle, this high-resolution display and all associated content are seamlessly placed between the rounded speedometer and tachometer in a way that seems natural even though it’s far from the standard shape of any LCD we’ve known prior. Graphics are considerably evolved since the old car, with great looking CGIs of the A8 for functions requiring it and a feed from the optional night vision display piped in for easy viewing. The usual audio, telephone, navigation and vehicle function displays are also housed here albeit in a much more refined presentation.
Whereas the previous A8 introduced Audi’s MMI system, this latest generation evolves the all-inclusive infotainment system, bestowing it with even greater functionality while at the same time making basic tasks easier to perform. The rotary dial, back button and four-corner hot buttons on each menu remain, though critical new elements have also been added. A menu button will now take you ‘home’ within the system if you wish to easily return to the beginning. Other basic functions such as track selection, HVAC controls and even radio presets now get their own dedicated buttons making it unnecessary to use MMI for those functions if that is what is desired.
Most revolutionary is an iPod-like touchpad referred to by Audi as “MMI touch” located to the left of the rotary control. Searching your telephone directory or points of interest within the integrated Google maps address data is performed easily by writing desired letters with your fingertip, which allows the driver to keep his eyes on the road while searching. Place MMI in radio mode and the numbers one through six display for direct radio preset navigation. Apparently Audi chose not to go with 1-10 with zero representing ten, which could also double as a keypad for phone dialing, because in testing this sort of phone dialing took the driver’s eyes away from the road for too long. Writing the numbers can be done more naturally without removing one’s eyes from the road.
Emphasizing the info side of infotainment, Audi has announced an association with Google. The main benefit to this will be wireless connectivity to Google Maps for point of interest and directory data. Certain news will also be available via MMI as well while a 3G WiFi network will be available for passengers. Audi of America is currently in discussions with mobile wireless providers and the actual hardware utilized in American-bound A8s will likely be mounted in the dashboard where mobile phone SIM cards are integrated for Europe - within a slot in the dash that also houses a DVD/CD player and memory card slots for digital music storage.
For the D4 Audi has also now networked an optional rear MMI system complete with two large screens mounted on each front seatback and controls mounted within the rear seat armrest. Audio content is sent to Audi-logoed wireless headphones and, much like the Business Class flying experience on Lufthansa, passengers can choose from a range of audio and video options or simply follow the on-board navigation to monitor travel progress.
Audi of America tells us they’ve pushed hard to get very competitive pricing for the rear seat entertainment system, something that will likely see a very high install rate in North America-bound A8s. The system takes the rear seat experience to a new level with highly intuitive operation for an Audi owner, but controls will unfortunately be inaccessible if a third rear seat passenger is obstructing the armrest.
One traditionally popular option that has been carried over and improved upon is the Bang & Olufsen audio system, only this time the system’s integration was planned since the very beginning of A8 development. In D3 cars, it was added after the car had been in production for several years. Five more speakers have been added, totalling 19, including a three-way speaker system in each door and two-way speaker configuration on the parcel shelf. This is all combined with redesigned motorized sound lenses at the front for even better sound delivery. Aluminum speaker grilles for the midrange and woofers throughout the cabin have also been redesigned to flow more naturally with the look of the Audi’s interior, while improved speaker cabinets minimize vibrations and help keep hands-free telephone audio from emanating outside the car thus ensuring privacy. Within the MMI system there is also a new ‘Movie’ setting for optimized audio associated with movie playback that works with the optional rear seat presentation or as one hell of a delivery system at a drive-in theatre.
Audi has also made a number of significant additions in active and passive safety for the A8. One major development is the multi-level pre-sense systems. Using primarily sensors from the ESP system, the A8 is able to prepare itself for an imminent collision by activating the hazard lights, closing windows and sunroof, and tensioning the seatbelt. As a reminder, you’ll notice the A8 lightly tension the seatbelt every time you start the car. A second level of pre sense networks in data from the adaptive cruise control and side assist hardware to help the car’s processor make an even more accurate assessment of the situation, brakes can be pre-tensioned, the car will warn the driver through both a chime and a rapid on-off application of the brakes, eventually even braking at the last possible moment to minimize impact.
Night vision functionality has also been added to the A8’s list of tech, sensed from a camera mounted behind the A8’s leftmost silver ring within the grille, imagery with pedestrian marking can be streamed to the information screen within the instrument cluster.
Out on the road, the A8 is surprisingly quick and agile. Stats like a more powerful V8 and lighter weight would seem to make this obvious, but the more substantive design heft makes you think you’re getting into a heavier car. A more solid thunk of the door closing just adds to that perception. Numbers win out over subjective impression though and the A8 is both quicker and more agile as we noted while careening down Spanish seaside roads in the car. As with all of the latest Audis using the company’s modular MLB chassis basis for their architecture, the A8 benefits from physical placement of the engine slightly further back in the structure for better balance while other hardware upgrades like Audi Drive Select and the awesome Sport Differential first seen in the S4 were equipped in our grey example and will likely be optional for American versions.
All of this kit functions the same, but when paired with the slick new shift-by-wire gear selector it all seems more harmonious. For one, shifts from Audi’s new eight-speed Tiptronic automatic are decidedly quick. Also, just a single pull on the handle will drop the car into Sport mode. Whereas you’d be fiddling with MMI to set up custom driver setup if you prefer sporty handling but don’t care to keep the revs high all the time, the driver can now simply drop the car into sane roadgoing shift patterns even if you are in the Le Mans inspired sport mode.
This is the first time we’ve seen Audi Drive Select applied to an air suspension and the pairing works well. The suspension itself offers the same level of height functionality as before, but it more rapidly changes from sport to luxury settings and handling seems more natural than the air suspension on the car’s predecessor.
As for the latest MMI, winding Spanish roads requiring concentration left us with a truncated experience. These types of systems are never truly understood until you can spend more time with them than our several hour test drive, but our short time behind the wheel and sitting in static display A8s near our hotel left us in awe of the new Bang & Olufsen sound and truly appreciating the touchpad even though Google wasn’t activated in our test vehicle.
Returning the car to our little hotel overlooking the Mediterranean, we took one last look at the big sedan. The design is elegant and perhaps just a bit too evolutionary. The more upright profile of the new A8 reminds us of critiques suggesting the car is not as aggressively designed when considered alongside the more avant-garde Jaguar XJ or the Maserati Quattroporte. That’s not really the point though as Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen pointed out to us later in conversation. With the more coupe-like A7 coming into the Audi range, A8 designers had even more flexibility to go with a more substantial sedan design that is targeted more at the more traditional Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW 7-series sedans and less at so at its low-slung competition from Italy and the UK. That they did so and the car still both handles better, carries more standard luxury and burns less fuel is even more impressive.
Given the traditional nature of the segment, we suspect there will always be those who still love the old car – and a handsome one it remains. Demand is still strong says de Nysschen, who also revealed that Audi will build one last run of A8s bound for America before changing the line over for the new car. That inventory will have to last America until late this year when the new car finally arrives alongside a slightly differentiated long-wheelbase A8L. However, the option to bring the short wheelbase car earlier is there should this last run of D3 A8s move faster than expected.
In Europe the A8 will be initially available with the as-sampled 4.2 FSI, the 4.2 TDI and two improved variations of the 3.0 TDI – a more frugal version paired with front-wheel drive and more powerful version paired with quattro. A new W12 will come later and a twin turbo 4.0T FSI V8 is expected in the S8.
Audi of America sells a roughly 80 percent split of long-wheelbase versions but will continue to sell the short wheelbase as this helps build the business case for the S8. The S-car and the W12 will both make it stateside and rumors are that Audi is also considering the more powerful 3.0 TDI as well. Where this leaves the A8 hybrid remains to be seen, but we did make a point in testing the 3.0 TDI while in Spain and a much shorter review of that car will be published shortly.
Here is a Link to the article: Driven: 2011 Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro
#2
02-19-2010, 12:00 AM
I'm very interested to see the car in person. Overall (looks wise), I like what Audi has been doing lately. I'm a fan of the running LEDs, and the interior looks okay. I'm not really feeling the flip out screen, looks too aftermarket for a luxury sedan, and I'm not sure what's up with the shifter. Hopefully the S-line will be much more aggressive.
