Audi A8

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Audi A8

The Audi A8 is a full-size luxury car built by the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
automaker Audi

Audi

AUDI AG, is a Germany car manufacturer which produces cars under the Audi brand, . The name Audi is based on a latin translation of the last name of the founder August "Horch", itself the German word for ?hear." Another explanation for the origin of the name is as an acronym for ?Auto Union Deutschland Ingolstadt."...
, to replace the Audi V8

Audi V8

The Audi V8 is a large luxury sedan built by Audi of Germany from 1988 to 1994 as the company's range-topping model, and was the first Audi to use its namesake engine configuration....
as its flagship model

Flagship

A flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, a designation given on account of being either the largest, fastest, newest, most heavily armed or, for publicity purposes, the most well known....
. First brought to the market in 1994, most versions of the A8 have featured quattro permanent four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
as standard, as well as a multitronic

Multitronic

Multitronic is a stepless Transmission launched by Audi in 2000. Based on the principles of continuously variable transmission popularised by DAF Trucks, Multitronic offers a stepless automatic transmission in which the ratio between the input shaft and output shaft can be varied continuously within a given range, providing a very large nu...
or Tiptronic

Tiptronic

Tiptronic, is a type of discrete automatic transmission developed by Porsche, and used in its vehicles, and those of its licensees....
automatic transmission

Automatic transmission

An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manual transmission....
. Two generations of the A8 have been produced, in both short and long wheelbase form, and are built on successions of the Volkswagen Group D platform series.

D2 (Typ 4D, 1994-2003)
The A8 debuted in Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
in 1994, although it wasn't until 1997 that it became available in North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
.

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Encyclopedia

The Audi A8 is a full-size luxury car built by the German

Germany

Audi

Audi V8

Flagship

Four-wheel drive

Multitronic

Tiptronic

Tiptronic, is a type of discrete automatic transmission developed by Porsche, and used in its vehicles, and those of its licensees....
automatic transmission

Automatic transmission

D2 (Typ 4D, 1994-2003)

The A8 debuted in Europe

Europe

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
. Unlike its predecessor, the Audi V8

Audi V8

Steel

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.14% by weight , depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten....
platform

Automobile platform

An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques....
, the A8 debuted on the then-new Volkswagen Group D2 platform, an all aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13....
monocoque

Monocoque

Monocoque, from Greek language for single and French for shell , is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin....
, tagged as the "Audi Space Frame

Space frame

A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometry pattern....
" (ASF), which helped to significantly reduce weight

Weight

In the physical sciences, weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. Near the surface of the Earth, the Earth's gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass....
, without sacrificing structural rigidity. The saloon/sedan was offered in both the A8 (standard wheelbase), and the A8L extended or long-wheelbase

Wheelbase

In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels....
(LWB) version. The A8L adds of rear legroom. In addition to being the world's first car built on an entirely aluminium platform, updates to the car in 1997 included the addition of six interior airbag

Airbag

An airbag is a Automobile safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly in an automobile collision, to prevent vehicle occupants from striking hard interior objects such as steering wheels....
s, making the A8 the first vehicle

Motor vehicle

A motor vehicle is a machine which incorporates a wikt:motor , and which is used for transportation. The internal combustion engine is the most common motor choice, although electric motors or other types are sometimes used....
to be so equipped.

For 1997, the new A8 was available with either front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive

Front-wheel drive is a form of Internal combustion engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only....
(FWD), or the Torsen

Torsen

Torsen is a type of limited slip differential used in automobiles. It was invented by United States of America Vernon Gleasman and manufactured by the Gleason Corporation....
-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
. The FWD models are powered by a 2.8L V6 engine

V6 engine

A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinder s mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, producing , and 3.7L V8 engine

V8 engine

A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinder s mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, while the quattro received a 4.2L V8 producing . The A8 is available with standard luxury amenities, including dual-zone climate control, wood and leather interior trim, 14-way power and heated seats, and an enhanced BOSE audio system. Audi's flagship received new colours, and restructuring of option packages in 1999. The North America

North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
n "warm weather package" added a solar sunroof

Sunroof

An automotive sunroof is a fixed or operable opening in an automobile roof which allows light and/or fresh air to enter the passenger compartment....
which allows the interior ventilation fans to run, keeping the interior cool whilst the car is parked with the engine turned off. Changes to all models included a larger passenger mirror, and a first aid kit

First aid kit

A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment for use in giving first aid. First aid kits may be made up of different contents dependant on who has assembled the kit and for what purpose....
located in the rear armrest.

The 2000 model year

Model year

The model year of a product is a number used in North America to describe approximately when a product was produced.The model year and the actual calendar year of production do not always coincide....
saw a minor front-end restyle, with new, larger, clear headlights

Headlamp

A headlamp is a lamp , usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a automobile, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation ....
, a revised grille

Grille

A grille is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out....
, and lower front valance with standard projection fog lamps. On the interior, the seats received a new, horizontal stitch pattern. Also, the 3.7L FWD model was dropped, leaving only the long-wheelbase and short-wheelbase 4.2L quattro. These restyled cars also featured revised external door handles.

For 2001, A8 received minimal changes, the biggest being the added "SIDEGUARD" curtain airbag

Airbag

W12 engine

A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder reciprocating engine in a W engine. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four banks of three cylinders , coupled to a common crankshaft ....
, a compact 6.0 L unit developed by effectively mating two 3.0 L VR6 engine

VR6 engine

The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration developed by the Volkswagen Group. It is similar to the V engine, but with the cylinder offset from each other and tilted by 10.6? or 15? instead of the more common 45?, 60?, or 90?....
s together at the crankshaft

Crankshaft

The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank , is the part of an engine which translates reciprocation linear piston motion into rotation....
. The engine quickly became available in the A8, though only to Europe

Europe

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
n customers. From its introduction through its discontinuation in 2003, only 750 of the "W12" models were produced.

In 2002, the A8L received standard xenon

Xenon arc lamp

A xenon arc lamp is an Lighting source. Powered by electricity, it uses ionized xenon gas to produce a bright white light that closely mimics natural daylight....
high-intensity discharge lamp

High-intensity discharge lamp

A High-intensity discharge lamp is a type of electric light which produces light by means of an electric arc between tungsten electrodes housed inside a translucent or transparent fused quartz or fused alumina arc tube....
(HID) headlights, and a heated steering wheel. A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), an updated Symphony II stereo, and new exterior colors were also added.

A8 Coupé prototype

In 1997, IVM Automotive of Munich

Munich

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg....
, Germany built a 2-door Audi A8 Coupé. The car was unveiled at the 1997 Geneva Motor Show

Salon International de l'Auto

File:IntAutoSalonGenf08.JPGFile:Automobilsalon Genf2006.jpgThe International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Switzerland city of Geneva....
. Audi contracted IVM to build the prototype

Prototype

A prototype is an original type, form, or instance of something serving as a typical example, basis, or standard for other things of the same category....
, and was considering production of the vehicle. The coupé

Coupé

A coup? or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time. Coup?s are often hardtopped sports cars or sporty variants of sedan body styles, with doors commonly reduced from 4 to 2, and a Close-coupled sedan interior offering either two seats or 2+2 seating ....
had a re-engineered alloy body, shorter than the production A8 saloon. Like the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class

Mercedes-Benz CL-Class

The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a full-sized grand tourer produced by the Germany automaker Mercedes-Benz, which stands for Comfort Leicht in German, or Comfort Light in English....
, there was no central "B" pillar, giving the car a seamless design with a gradually sloping roofline. The car included custom leather seats which could seat four. Ultimately, Audi decided not to put the A8 Coupé into production, citing lower-than-expected sales figures for the similar BMW 8 Series

BMW 8 Series

The BMW 8 Series is a V8 or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW from 1989 to 1999.While it did supplant the original BMW E24 based BMW 6 Series in 1991, a common misconception is that the 8 Series was developed as a successor....
and Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé

Mercedes-Benz W140

The Mercedes-Benz W140 was a series of flagship vehicles manufactured by the Germany automotive marque Mercedes-Benz. The car premiered at the Salon International de l'Auto in March 1991, with the first examples rolling off the production line on August 6, 1991....
. Only one A8 Coupé was ever built. The single prototype, painted a color called "Ming Blue Pearl," remains the property of IVM Automotive, and resides in Munich. Its last public appearance was in 2002 on a series of test drives.

As of 2008, there are still no plans for an A8 coupé series, however, a forthcoming Audi A7

Audi A7

The Audi Sportback concept is a concept car produced by Audi. It was introduced at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. The Sportback concept, a luxury five-door coup? model, is regarded as a preview of two future models: an Audi A5 Sportback variant and the Audi A7....
will be a large executive-sized coupé, based on the A6

Audi A6

The Audi A6 is an executive car car produced by the Germany automaker Audi. It is available in sedan and station wagon body styles. The second and third generation A6 were also used as the basis for the Audi allroad quattro and A6 allroad quattro models respectively....
saloon.

D3 (Typ 4E, 2003-present)

The second-generation A8 built on the Volkswagen Group D3 platform was introduced in early 2003. The model was longer than the previous generation, with room for four or five large adult occupants in the cabin, depending on rear seat configuration.

Two body variants of the second generation A8 are offered, the A8 (standard, or short wheelbase), and the long-wheelbase

Wheelbase

In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels....
(LWB) A8L. The A8L adds to the rear legroom and 11 mm to the overall height of the car.

Audi restyled the D3 platform A8 range slightly in 2005, endowing all variants with a taller, wider trapezoid

Trapezoid

In geometry, a trapezoid or trapezium is a quadrilateral with twoparallel sides. The term “trapezoid” is used in North America, while the term “trapezium” is prevalent in Britain....
al single-frame grille, inspired by that of the Nuvolari quattro

Audi Nuvolari Quattro

The Audi Nuvolari quattro was a concept car created by Germany automobile maker Audi. This vehicle was first introduced at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show....
concept car

Concept car

A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a Automobile prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at Auto show to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
. The top-of-the-line W12 engine

W12 engine

A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder reciprocating engine in a W engine. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four banks of three cylinders , coupled to a common crankshaft ....
d W12 version was the first model to be equipped with this grille; V8 engine

V8 engine

A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinder s mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
d models were fitted with the new grille the following year. In addition to the styling update, new engines

Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs in a combustion chamber inside and integral to the engine. In an internal combustion engine it is always the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases that are produced by the combustion which apply force to the movable component of the engine, such as...
became available to Europe

Europe

Asia

V6 engine

Gasoline direct injection

Gasoline direct injection is a latest variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke cycle and Four-stroke cycle stroke petrol engines....
(FSI), which it shares with the B7 Audi A4

Audi A4

The Audi A4 is a compact executive car produced by the Germany automaker Audi since 1994. The first generation A4 succeeded the Audi 80.It is available as a sedan or a station wagon ....
.

This generation A8 introduced the 321ps 4.2L V8

V8 engine

Diesel engine

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine which operates using the diesel cycle . Diesel engines have the highest thermal efficiency compared to any internal combustion or external combustion engine....
Audi has ever offered in a passenger automobile, before the debut of Audi's 6.0L V12

V12 engine

A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinder s mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually at a 60? angle to each other, but in some cases at a wider or narrower angle, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
TDI engine in the Audi Q7

Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury SUV produced by Germany automaker Audi since its unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006....
. The engine uses two turbocharger

Turbocharger

A turbocharger, or turbo, is a gas compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine. Like a supercharger, the purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the mass of air entering the engine to create more power....
s and two intercooler

Intercooler

An intercooler, or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchanger used on Turbocharger and Supercharger internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through Isochoric process cooling....
s, with each turbocharger functioning exclusively for one bank of four cylinders

Cylinder (engine)

A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically casting from aluminum or cast iron before precision features are machined into it....
. The 2.8L V6 FSI, which is recently added to the A8 range, has a class leading 199g/km of CO₂ emission.

For 2008, the A8 received a facelift and also received new electronic safety systems. "Audi Side Assist" detects cars in the A8's blind spots. "Audi Lane Assist" helps when the driver attempts to change lanes without signaling first.

Engine variants

Engine		ps Nm@RPM	0-100 km/h (0-62 mph)	top speed	fuel consumption EU cycle average
displacement	type	ps Nm@RPM	0-100 km/h (0-62 mph)	top speed	fuel consumption EU cycle average
2.8L (2773 cc)	V6 FSI V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinder s mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft....	207 280@3000	8.0 s	237 km/h
3.0L (2976 cc)	V6	220 300@3200	7.9 s	241 km/h
3.2L (3123 cc)	V6 FSI Gasoline direct injection Gasoline direct injection is a latest variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke cycle and Four-stroke cycle stroke petrol engines....	256 330@3250	7.7 s	250 km/h	9.9L/100 km
3.7L (3697 cc)	V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinder s mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....	280 360@3750	7.3 s	250 km/h
4.2L (4172 cc)	V8	335 430@3500	6.4 s	250 km/h
4.2L (4172 cc)	V8 FSI	344 440@3500	6.1 s	250 km/h
6.0L (5998 cc)	W12 W12 engine A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder reciprocating engine in a W engine. W12 engines are manufactured in two distinct configurations. One configuration uses four banks of three cylinders , coupled to a common crankshaft ....	443 580@4700	5.1 s	250 km/h	14.7L/100 km
3.0L (2967 cc)	V6 TDI	229 450@3250	7.8 s	243 km/h	8.5L/100 km
4.0L (3936 cc)	V8 TDI	270 650@1800	6.7 s	250 km/h	9.2L/100 km
4.2L (4134 cc)	V8 TDI	321 650@1600	5.9 s	250 km/h	9.4L/100 km

In most markets outside Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
, only the 4.2 V8 and 6.0 W12 petrol engines are available. The 4.0 TDI was discontinued when the 4.2 TDI was introduced.

Audi S8 variants

In 1998, Audi introduced the Audi S8 variant, in the vein of Mercedes-Benz AMG models. Although it shared the standard model's platform

Automobile platform

An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques....
, it featured a re-tuned, version of the standard V8 engine

V8 engine

Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of spring , shock absorbers and Linkage that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose ? contributing to the car's car handling and brake for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road no...
, with larger alloy wheel

Alloy wheel

Alloy wheels are automobile wheels which are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium metals ....
s and upgraded tyres

Tire

Tires, or tyres , are ring-shaped parts, either pneumatic or solid , that fit around wheels to protect them and enhance their function....
, uprated and enlarged brake

Brake

A brake is a device for applying a force against the friction of the road, slowing or stopping the motion of a machine or vehicle, or alternatively a device to restrain it from starting to move again....
s, and a re-calibrated version of the 5-speed Tiptronic

Tiptronic

Tiptronic, is a type of discrete automatic transmission developed by Porsche, and used in its vehicles, and those of its licensees....
automatic transmission

Automatic transmission

An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manual transmission....
(Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
an-spec. models also had a 6-speed manual transmission

Manual transmission

A manual transmission is a type of Transmission used in automotive applications. It generally utilizes a driver-operated clutch operated by a pedal or lever, for regulating torque transfer from the engine to the transmission, and a gear-shift either operated by hand or by foot ....
option); Torsen

Torsen

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, 4x4 , or AWD is a four-wheeled vehicle with a Powertrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously....
was standard.

Production of the first-generation S8 ended in 2003, shortly before the introduction of the D3-platform A8.

In the last quarter of 2005, Audi introduced the second-generation S8, powered by a 5.2L FSI V10 engine, derived from the Lamborghini 5.2 L V10

Lamborghini V10

The Lamborghini V10 is a petrol engine which was developed for the Lamborghini Gallardo automobile, first sold in 2003.This is only the third engine developed by Audi for Lamborghini Gallardo, and the first engine developed by the company after the they were acquired by Audi - part of the Volkswagen Group....
used in the Lamborghini Gallardo

Lamborghini Gallardo

The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 5000 on first three years of production ....
.

Popular culture

The Audi A8 W12 was featured in the 2005 film Transporter 2

Transporter 2

Transporter 2 is a 2005 in film France action / crime / driving film directed by Louis Leterrier and produced by Luc Besson. It is the sequel to 2002 in film The Transporter....
and 2008 film Transporter 3

Transporter 3

Transporter 3 is a 2008 in film action film, and is the third installment in the Transporter film series, as well as the first not to be distributed by 20th Century Fox in the United States....
in which Jason Statham

Jason Statham

Jason Michael Statham is an English people actor, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Revolver ; and Snatch ....
drives it in the beginning of the film and towards the end.

Audi A8

D2 (Typ 4D, 1994-2003)

A8 Coupé prototype

D3 (Typ 4E, 2003-present)

Engine variants

Audi S8 variants

Popular culture

External links