Audi A8

Name	Audi A8
Manufacturer	AUDI AG
Parent company	Volkswagen Group(Volkswagen AG)
Production	1994–present
Assembly	Neckarsulm, GermanyAurangabad, India (CKD)Monterrey, MexicoChangchun, ChinaTokyo, Japan (AMA, D2 only)
Predecessor	Audi V8
Class	Full-size luxury car
Body style	4-door saloon/sedan
Layout	Longitudinal front engine,front-wheel drive orquattro permanent four-wheel drive
Platform	Volkswagen Group D platform series
Related	Audi S8

The Audi A8 is a four-door, full-size, luxury sedan car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, the A8 has been offered with front wheel drive or permanent four-wheel drive, with multitronic or tiptronic automatic transmissions — and in short and long wheelbase variants. Previous generations employed the Volkswagen Group D platform with the current generation using the D4 platform.

Beginning in 1997, The A8 was the first mass-market car with an aluminum chassis, marketed as the Audi Space Frame and co-developed with Alcoa.

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D2 (Typ 4D, 1994-2002)

Name	Audi D2 A8 (Typ 4D)
Production	June 1994–September 2002 although it was not until the 1997 model year that it became available in North America. Unlike its predecessor, the Audi V8 model, which was built on an existing steel platform, the A8 debuted on the then-new Volkswagen Group D2 platform, an all aluminium monocoque, tagged as the (ASF), which helped to significantly reduce weight, without sacrificing structural rigidity. The saloon/sedan was offered in both the A8 (standard wheelbase), and the A8L extended or long-wheelbase (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 airbags, making the A8 the first vehicle to be so equipped.
2.8 (2773 cc) || v6 fsi || ; @3000 || style	"text-align:center;"| 8.0 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
3.0 (2976 cc) || v6 || ; @3200 || style	"text-align:center;"| 7.9 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
3.2 (3123 cc) || v6 fsi || ; @3250 || style	"text-align:center;"| 7.7 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
3.7 (3697 cc) || v8 || ; @3750 || style	"text-align:center;"| 7.3 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
4.2 (4172 cc) || v8 || ; @3500 || style	"text-align:center;"| 6.4 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
4.2 (4172 cc) || v8 fsi || ; @3500 || style	"text-align:center;"| 6.1 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
5.2 (5,204 cc) || v10 fsi || ; @3500 || style	"text-align:center;"| 5.1 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
6.0 (5998 cc) || w12 || ; @4700 || style	"text-align:center;"| 5.1 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
3.0 (2967 cc) || v6 tdi || ; @3250 || style	"text-align:center;"| 7.8 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
4.0 (3936 cc) || v8 tdi || ; @1800 || style	"text-align:center;"| 6.7 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
4.2 (4134 cc) || v8 tdi || ; @1600 || style	"text-align:center;"| 5.9 sec || style="text-align:center;"|
Name	Audi D4 A8 (Typ 4H)
Production	2010–present
Platform	Audi MLP
Engine	petrol engines:3.0 L TFSI V64.2 L FSI V86.3 L W12diesel engines:3.0 L V6 TDI4.2 L V8
Transmission	8-speed ZF 8HP tiptronic automatic7-speed dual clutch S tronic
Wheelbase	(standard wheelbase)
Length	(standard wheelbase)
Width
Height
Weight
Related	Bentley Mulsanne
Sp	uk

The third-generation Audi A8 (Typ 4H) was introduced in Miami on 30 November 2009 and went on sale in November 2010 as a 2011 model.

It is based on the Volkswagen Group MLB platform, but retains the Audi Space Frame aluminium construction of the previous A8, making it the lightest all-wheel drive car in the full-size luxury segment, while also giving it best-in-class fuel economy.

Initial internal combustion engine options comprise 4.2 litre Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) petrol and Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel V8s, with and respectively. A 3.0 litre V6 TDI with either or will be available later. A 6.3 litre W12 engine will be added in 2010. Most engines will be mated to the new 8-speed ZF 8HP automatic transmission.

The D4 iteration of the Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro can do a 0-to-60-mph sprint in 5.1 seconds, which is quicker than the past-generation D3 platform Audi S8 5.2 FSI quattro.

The D4 A8 features all light-emitting diode (LED) headlights, an enhanced Multi Media Interface with touchscreen, and an optional 1400 watt Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Features

All LED headlights with cornering light, country mode, highway mode, intersection mode, city mode

Intelligent quattro (four wheel drive system) (splits torque with a default bias of 40 percent front and 60 percent rear)

"Audi Space Frame" aluminium monocoque

Optional A8 features include a driver assistance system networked using FlexRay technology. along with a GPS navigation system coordinating input to the adaptive headlights, transmission, cruise control and Electronic Stability Programme).

The A8 also offers an optional driver control system for numerous sub-systems, marketed as MMI (Multi Media Interface) which can recognise handwriting inputs for the phone and navigation system and provide 3D navigation with Google Earth., optional night vision assistant with pedestrian recognition,

Engine variants

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%;" |- !colspan=2|engine !rowspan=2|Power @ rpm !rowspan=2|Torque @ rpm !rowspan=2|0–100 km/h(0-62 mph) !rowspan=2|max speed |- !displacement !type |- !colspan=6 |Petrol engines |- |3.0 (2995 cc) || V6 TFSI || @4850-6500|| @2500-4850 || style="text-align:center;"| 6.1 sec || style="text-align:center;"| |- |4.2 (4163 cc) || V8 FSI || @ 6800|| @3500 || style="text-align:center;"| 5.7 sec || style="text-align:center;"| |- |6.3 || W12 || || @3250 || style="text-align:center;"| 4.9 sec || style="text-align:center;"| |- !colspan=6 |Common rail diesel engines |- |3.0 (2967 cc) || V6 TDI || @4000-4500|| @1500-3000 || style="text-align:center;"| 6.1 sec || style="text-align:center;"| |- |4.2 (4134 cc) || V8 TDI || @ 4000|| @1750-2750 || style="text-align:center;"| 5.5 sec || style="text-align:center;"| |}

==Audi S8== Audi has produced two generations of the Audi S8 quattro, a high performance variant in the vein of Mercedes-Benz AMG S-Class models. Both incarnations of the S8 use the standard wheelbase platform (not the long-wheelbase of the A8L).

The S8 was first produced in 1996, and compared to the standard A8, it has a re-tuned, version of the standard V8 engine (subsequently upgraded to ), a re-tuned suspension, with larger alloy wheels and upgraded tyres, uprated and enlarged brakes, and a re-calibrated version of the five-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. A six-speed manual transmission option was available, but this was not offered in North America. Torsen-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive was standard. Production of the first-generation S8 ended in September 2002, shortly before the introduction of the D3-platform A8.

In the last quarter of 2005, Audi previewed the second-generation S8, now called the Audi S8 5.2 FSI quattro, powered by a 5.2 FSI V10 engine. Full production started in June 2006. The S8 is comparable to Audi's top-of-the-line long-wheelbase A8L W12, though the W12 is more expensive, and has more torque. More recently, with Audi said to be improving on the fuel economy and emissions from the previous S8's 5.2 FSI V10 and RS6's 5.0 TSFI V10 biturbo, the press expects that the 2012 S8 would have a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making 450 hp mated to a 7-speed double-clutch S Tronic transmission.

References

"Audi Picks up 10 Awards at Challenge Bibendum"

External links

Audi corporate website

Audi UK A8 microsite

A8 Category:Flagship vehicles Category:Euro NCAP executive cars Category:Full-size vehicles Category:Sedans Category:All wheel drive vehicles Category:Front wheel drive vehicles Category:Vehicles introduced in 1994 Category:2010s automobiles Category:1990s automobiles Category:2000s automobiles