Audi A8L 4.2 quattro Details

Press Release

Audi A8 - In Depth
Audi A8 photo album - 129 photos
Audi A8L Long Wheelbase Photo Album - 18 Photos World premiere in the United States Audi is to present the long-wheelbase version of its new A8 4.2 quattro at the Detroit Motor Show (4th - 10th January 2003). In addition to its dynamic performance, generous space and luxury the A8L 4.2 quattro is the ideal top-class sedan for long-distance travel. Its wheelbase -compared with the standard version - has been increased by 130 millimeters and now measures 3074 millimeters. The resulting gain in space benefits the rear passengers in full: with the front seats fully forward, rear passengers can enjoy a legroom of 1075 millimeters -first-class standards of space. With this third version Audi extends the new A8 range just a few months after this model's initial launch. In future, owners of the Audi A8L 4.2 quattro will find it hard to choose where to take their seats when entering their car: Behind the wheel they can enjoy driving the most sporty of luxury sedans, with its advanced aluminum suspension with air springs and adaptive shock absorber control, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and powerful 4.2-liter V8 engine. Those who leave the steering wheel to their chauffeurs and take a seat in the rear will be welcomed by generous space and seating comfort that sets new standards. On request, passengers can relax on electrically adjustable individual seats, which are also available - depending on the owner's personal preferences - as highly ergonomic, extra-comfortable seats with massage function, seat heating and ventilation. Rear passengers will enjoy a pleasant driving experience: The Audi A8L is currently the most dynamic way to be driven rather than to drive. Another extra-comfort feature: the front passenger's seat can be adjusted from the rear, allowing rear passengers who are sitting directly behind it to increase their legroom if necessary. The optional four-zone comfort automatic air conditioning also provides a high level of comfort and well-being. The system permits rear passengers to set the required temperature and air distribution individually by means of separate controls on the center console. Rear seat-area ventilation is through air outlets in the B posts, at the rear of the center console and in the rear footwells. There is a draught-free, indirect air supply to all seats. The air conditioning's acoustics also set new standards of refinement. Design Even a first glance at the flowing outlines of the new Audi A8 clearly reveals the personality of this 5.18-meter long, 1.89-meter wide and 1.44-meter high sedan: a harmonious combination of clarity and sporting character, grace and elegance. A low front with an unusually short overhang, a high, powerful tail and the distinct wedge-shaped body of the new A8L are features of its dynamic styling. For the long Audi A8, as for the standard version, the crouched silhouette and the shoulder line clearly rising to the rear underline the sporting effect. The prestigious size of this large luxury sedan only becomes evident on a closer look. The well-proportioned but powerful styling of the Audi A8 radiates elegance in the long version too, the body of which now has an overall length of 5,181 mm. With its clear, drawn-out lines, it communicates the impression of dynamism and agility that is typical of the Audi A8. The wheelbase of the Audi A8 long version has been extended by 130 millimeters and is now 3074 mm. The increase in the car's overall length has been neatly incorporated between the B and D posts. The rear doors, which have also grown in length by 130 mm, blend into the dynamic side contour harmoniously and permit passengers to enter and leave the car with particular ease. Even more convenience awaits the passenger inside the A8, at all seats and in all dimensions: Headroom in the rear- compared with the previous model - has been increased by five millimeters; there are seven millimeters more width at shoulder height and the elbow room has grown by 10 mm. The Aluminum Body The innovative aluminum body uses a further developed form of the Audi Space Frame (ASF) and is the basis for the new Audi A8's ride comfort, excellent road behavior and handling characteristics. Compared to the previous A8 generation, the number of body elements has been significantly reduced by using more functional large castings and extruded sections. The new A8 has a completely closed space frame. The most important result: static torsional rigidity, a decisive yardstick for dynamic driving and freedom from vibration, has gone up by more than 60 percent compared with the previous model. As for the A8 with standard wheelbase, the front and rear ends of the long version too are linked through the roof frame, body sills, B-cross member, B posts and floor panels to form a closed space frame. The B post is a large multifunctional casting which, in addition to carrying the door hinges and lock strikers, is a central element in satisfying the side impact crash requirements. Last but not least, the B post is essential to ensure the A8 body's excellent freedom from vibration. The new A8L 4.2 quattro's single-piece side sections run from the A post to the rear end of the body. Like the roof, the side section too -the largest aluminum sheet element used in car manufacturing worldwide - is laser-welded to the load-bearing structure. Compared with the standard version's 218-kilogramm body structure, the A8L weighs only 8 kg more. The fact that the A8 maintains its high level of rigidity in the long-wheelbase version can also be ascribed to the use of extruded sections in the door sills and roof frame. The Audi A8L's freedom from vibration and handling characteristics set new standards in the luxury sedan segment. The relationship between high rigidity and low weight represents an absolute world record among all long-wheelbase sedan competitors. Engine and Driveline At its series launch the Audi A8 long version will be available with a 246 kW (335 hp) 4.2-liter V8 five-valve engine and permanent quattro all-wheel drive. The standard 6-speed tiptronic invites the driver to choose freely between the sporting character of a manual-shift gearbox and the convenience of automatic transmission. The engine has gained significantly in terms of output and performance- plus 25 hp and plus 20 Nm torque: values that guarantee supreme drive-off performance and vivid acceleration in all speed ranges. The A8L 4.2 quattro sprints from 0 - 100 km/h in only 6.4 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h (governed). An absolute first at Audi: the new 6-speed tiptronic with Dynamic Shift Program (DSP) and an additional Sport program. Thanks to the additional ratio, power output and torque are always available in such accurately controlled amounts that there are no further conflicts between spontaneous power flow, high performance on the road and perfect refinement. Those who prefer their gears to be selected automatically will appreciate the outstanding convenience of the adaptive electronics. A version of the Dynamic Shift Program (DSP) specially developed for the 6-speed tiptronic helps to reduce the number of gear shifts, despite the additional ratio compared with the previous five-speed unit. In addition, manual gear-shifting is possible when the selector lever is moved to the tiptronic gate plane. Another innovation in the Audi A8 is the option of changing gear by actuating the shift paddles behind the steering wheel. The driver can for instance change gear when cornering, and without having to take his or her hands off the steering wheel. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive, through which the A8L 4.2 transfers its power to the road, remains an advanced feature in the luxury car class. It ensures excellent traction and stable cornering, and minimizes any self-steering tendency caused by the influence of tractive force through the driveline. This is a precondition for high cornering speeds and a high level of dynamic stability. Or to put it another way: maximum driving pleasure and active safety. The Suspension The new A8 has aluminum suspension with a four-link front axle layout and a controlled toe-angle trapezoidal-link rear axle - both concepts that gave already the A8's predecessor its typical responsiveness and steering precision. Audi's suspension engineers have now purposefully further developed its strengths. The braking system and the steering system with variable transmission ratio and servotronic were newly designed. The adaptive air suspension - 4-corner air springs and continuous shock absorber control - is an air suspension concept used for the first time in the luxury car class, which eliminates the classic conflicting target of satisfactory handling properties and the appropriately high level of suspension comfort. Lowering the ride height at high speeds improves the new Audi A8's aerodynamic properties and therefore reduces its fuel consumption. Air suspension with the electronically controlled, continuously adaptive shock absorber system provides perfect driving comfort. The system responds to numerous sensor signals: body acceleration, vertical movement of the four wheels and also various other parameters such as steering angle or the position of accelerator and brake pedals, before determining the optimum damping force for the relevant driving situation. As long as there is no necessity for increased damping - for example travel in a straight line on a good-quality road - the shock absorbers remain comfortably soft. Controlled changes to the damping force at individual wheels help to eliminate body movements at any time which could reduce occupant comfort. Not only comfort but driving dynamics too benefit from this concept. The new Audi A8's adaptive damping automatically reduces rolling or pitching movements when cornering, braking or driving off. The A8L 4.2 quattro is fitted with sporty, elegant 10-hole, 8 J x 17" alloy wheels fitted with 235/55 R17 tires as standard equipment. This combination ensures excellent handling and ride comfort and sets high standards in terms of good wet-road grip and low rolling resistance.