The engine is located in front longitudinally with front or all-wheel drive. With a more powerful engine and technical improvements, the car is called the Audi S8. A8 was developed as a response to other German competitors Mercedes Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.
Audi D2 (1994—2002)
In 1982, Ferdinand Piech signed an agreement with Aluminum America of America to design and develop a car that was significantly lighter than others in its class (to compensate for the fact that the standard 4x4 was 100kg heavier than the equivalent 4x4). In the late 1980s, it was decided that the target car would be the successor to the flagship V8 (Typ 4C), introduced in 1988. In September 1993, the concept «Audi Space Frame» (ASF) was presented at «International Automobile Salon» (IAA) in 1993 as a D2 prototype (Typ 4D) in polished aluminium. Pilot production began in December 1993.
The Audi A8 was introduced in February 1994 and debuted at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show in March, with full-scale factory production beginning in June 1994. Unlike its Audi V8 predecessor, which was built on an existing steel platform, the A8 debuted on the new Volkswagen Group D2 platform, an all-aluminum monocoque marketed as «Audi Space Frame» (ASF), which helped reduce weight and maintain structural rigidity.
The A8 is available with standard luxury amenities, including dual-zone climate control, wood and leather trim, heated electric seats, and an upgraded Bose audio system.
The engine lineup is as follows. Gasoline engines - two 2.8 liter V6 with a capacity of 174 and 193 hp, six V8 with a volume of 3.7 and 4.2 liters with a capacity of 230 to 360 hp, one 6-liter W12 with a capacity of 420 hp. There are three diesel engines - two 2.5 liter V6s with a capacity of 150 and 180 hp and one V8 with a volume of 3.3 liters and a power of 225 hp. There are four transmissions to choose from - 5 or 6-speed mechanics, 4- or 5-speed ZF automatic.
Updates to the car in 1997 included the addition of six interior airbags. Audi A8 and Audi A6 - the world's first mass-produced cars with front and rear side airbags, which appeared in 1999. Audi also introduced the first serial ESP (Electronic Stability Control) for all wheel drive vehicles.
Audi D3 (2002—2009)
Audi A8 second generation (Typ 4E), built on the Volkswagen Group D3 platform, was made public in a press release in July 2002 and introduced in November 2002 in Europe, and in June 2003 in the United States. The model was slightly larger than the previous generation, and depending on the configuration of the rear seat, the cabin is designed for four or five large adult passengers.
Development of the D3 began in 1996 and design began in 1997 at the Audi design studio in Ingolstadt. The studio submitted draft proposals. Six of them were embodied in full-size clay models. At the end of 1998, the six full-size clay models were reduced to two, and they continued to be improved in parallel throughout the year. At the end of 1999, the final choice of theme was made - this is the design of Miklos Kovacs and Imre Hasanich. Such a long development time was partly due to the fact that the body is made of aluminum. This metal is less able to accept small radii of sharp lines, such as on a steel case Audi A4 (B6).
Grouping the main controls closer to the driver, while creating a lighter and more spacious interior were top priorities for the design team. Partially lightened the control panel «multimedia interface» (MMI), designed by Jürgen Schröder, who first appeared on the D3 after the announcement of the Audi Avantissimo concept car, and color and finishes from leading experts Barbara Krömeke and Melinda Jenkins in the field.
The engine lineup is as follows. Petrol - three V6s with a volume of 2.8, 3.0 and 3.2 liters with a capacity of 207, 217 and 252 hp, three V8s with a volume of 3.7 and 4.2 with a capacity of 276, 335 and 345 hp, one W10 with a volume of 5.2 liters with a capacity of 444 hp. and one W12 with a volume of 6.0 liters with a capacity of 444 hp. Diesel - two V6s with a volume of 3.0 liters with a capacity of 230 and 247 hp. and two V8s of 4.0 and 4.2 liters with a capacity of 271 and 322 hp, all turbocharged with direct injection. Two transmissions - 6-speed automatic «Tiptronic» ZF firms and variator «Multitronic» by LuK.
Audi D4 (2009—2017)
Third generation Audi A8 (Typ 4H) was presented in Miami on November 30, 2009. Three months later, the new model appeared on the German market. The chassis was built on the Volkswagen Group MLB platform while retaining the aluminum chassis structure «Audi Space Frame» the previous model. This makes it the lightest in the all-wheel drive executive car niche.
The body has become a little longer than the previous model by about 8 cm. The body format has remained the same - a 4-door sedan. The quattro all-wheel drive system splits the torque 40 percent to the front wheels and 60 percent to the rear.
The third A8 is equipped with the latest in automotive electronics. Is it LED or adaptive headlights, improved «multimedia interface» with a touch panel, handwriting recognition, the latest GPS navigation, broadband Internet and others. For safety, too, there are many solutions - an infrared night vision camera, adaptive cruise control, electronic stability control, a collision avoidance system and much more.
A hybrid version appeared with a 2.0-liter gasoline 4-cylinder engine with a capacity of 208 hp. The classic scheme includes the following engines. Petrol - two V6s with a volume of 3.0 liters with a capacity of 286 and 328 hp, three V8s with a volume of 4.0 and 4.2 liters with a capacity of 414, 429 and 367 hp, one W12 with a volume of 6.3 liters with a capacity of 493 hp. Diesel - two V6s with a volume of 3.0 liters with a capacity of 201 and 247 hp. and one V8 with a volume of 4.2 liters with a capacity of 345 hp. Transmission only one - 8-speed automatic «Tiptronic» firm ZF.
The car has undergone constant changes, the most significant being for the 2013 and 2014 model years. During these periods, the engine range was updated, a facelift was carried out and electronic components were updated.
Audi D5 (2017—present)
Fourth generation Audi A8 (Typ 4N) was presented in July 2017 at the event «Audi Summit» at the Barcelona Exhibition Center and then at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. Car sales began in November 2017. The length of the standard sedan is 5172mm, width 1945mm, height 1473mm, wheelbase 2998mm and curb weight 2020kg. For the Chinese market, Audi has been producing a series of especially luxuriously equipped Horch Founders Editions with a longer wheelbase since the end of 2021. The length of such a car is 5302 mm, width 1945 mm, height 1485 mm, wheelbase 3128 mm and curb weight 2120 kg.
There were two options for gasoline engines - a 3.0-liter six-cylinder V6 (2995 cm3, EA839, 286/340 hp) and a 4.0-liter eight-cylinder V8 (3996 cm3, EA825, 460/571 hp). There were also two models of diesel engines - a six-cylinder V6 with a volume of 3.0 liters (2967 cm3, EA897evo2/3, 286 hp) and a 4.0-liter eight-cylinder V8 (3956 cm3, EA898, 435 hp). The gearbox was installed only automatic eight-speed Tiptronic.
The car has an air suspension chassis with electric drive on each wheel that steers it on rough roads. If the vehicle detects an impending side impact, it is raised eight centimeters to reduce the risk of injury. On request, the A8 can be prepared for highway driving in heavy traffic at speeds up to 60 km/h without the need to constantly keep your hands on the wheel (third level of autonomous driving).