Description and history of car models Audi A8

The Audi A8 is a large executive car of the F-class (Luxury cars), produced since 1994 by the German manufacturer Audi AG. The body style is only a 4-door sedan with a short (SWB) or long (LWB) wheelbase. The car is the world's first mass-produced executive car with an aluminum chassis. The first two generations used the Volkswagen Group D platform, and the third generation was based on the MLB platform.

The engine is located longitudinally at the front with front or all-wheel drive. With a more powerful engine and technical improvements, the car is called the Audi S8. The 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 Piëch signed an agreement with Aluminum America of America to design and develop a car that would be significantly lighter than others in its class (to compensate for the fact that the standard all-wheel drive vehicle was 100 kg heavier than the equivalent rear-wheel drive vehicle). In the late 1980s, it was decided that the target car would be the successor to the V8 flagship (Typ 4C) introduced in 1988. In September 1993, the concept "Audi Space Frame" (ASF) was presented at the International Automobile Salon (IAA) in 1993 as the D2 prototype (Typ 4D) in polished aluminum. Pilot production began in December 1993.

The Audi A8 was unveiled in February 1994 and debuted at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show in March, with full-scale production at the plant beginning in June 1994. Unlike its predecessor, the Audi V8, 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 comes with standard luxury amenities, including dual-zone climate control, wood and leather interior trim, heated power seats, and an upgraded Bose audio system.

The engine lineup is as follows. Petrol engines - two 2.8-liter V6 with 174 and 193 hp, six V8s with 3.7 and 4.2 liters with 230 to 360 hp, one 6-liter W12 with 420 hp. There are three diesel engines - two 2.5-liter V6s with 150 and 180 hp and one 3.3-liter V8 with 225 hp. There are four transmissions to choose from - 5- or 6-speed manual, 4- or 5-speed automatic from ZF.

Updates to the car in 1997 included the addition of six interior airbags. The Audi A8 and Audi A6 — the world's first production cars with front and rear side airbags, which appeared in 1999. Audi also introduced the first production 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 unveiled 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 rear seat configuration, the interior was designed for four or five large adults.


Development of the D3 began in 1996, and the design began in 1997 in the Audi design studio in Ingolstadt. The studio submitted sketch proposals. Six of these 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 refined in parallel for a year. At the end of 1999, the final choice of theme was made - a design by Miklós Kovács and Imre Hasanic. 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 those on a steel body Audi A4 (B6).

The grouping of the main controls has been moved closer to the driver, while creating a lighter and more spacious interior were key priorities for the design team. Part of the lightening is the control panel of the "Multimedia Interface" (MMI) designed by Jürgen Schröder, which first appeared on the D3 after the announcement of the Audi Avantissimo concept car, as well as the color and trim from leading experts in this field Barbara Krömeke and Melinda Jenkins.

The engine lineup is as follows. Petrol - three V6s with a capacity of 2.8, 3.0 and 3.2 liters and a capacity of 207, 217 and 252 hp, three V8s with a capacity of 3.7 and 4.2 with a capacity of 276, 335 and 345 hp, one W10 with a capacity of 5.2 liters and a capacity of 444 hp and one W12 with a capacity of 6.0 liters and a capacity of 444 hp. Diesel - two V6s with a capacity of 3.0 liters and a capacity of 230 and 247 hp and two V8s with a capacity of 4.0 and 4.2 liters and a capacity of 271 and 322 hp, all turbocharged with direct injection. There are two transmissions - a 6-speed automatic "Tiptronic" from ZF and a CVT "Multitronic" luK company.

Audi D4 (2009-2017)

The third generation of 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 maintaining the aluminum chassis design "Audi Space Frame" previous model. This makes it the lightest in the niche of all-wheel drive executive cars.

The body became slightly longer than the previous model by about 8 cm. The body format remained the same - a 4-door sedan. The quattro all-wheel drive system divides the torque - 40 percent to the front wheels and 60 percent to the rear.

The third A8 is equipped with the latest electronic developments for cars. These are LED or adaptive headlights, an improved "Multimedia Interface" with a touch panel, handwriting recognition, the latest GPS navigation, broadband Internet and more. There are also many solutions for safety - an infrared night vision camera, adaptive cruise control, electronic stability control, a collision avoidance system and much more.


A hybrid version with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine with 208 hp has appeared. The classic scheme includes the following engines. Petrol - two 3.0-liter V6s with 286 and 328 hp, three 4.0- and 4.2-liter V8s with 414, 429 and 367 hp, one 6.3-liter W12 with 493 hp. Diesel - two 3.0-liter V6s with 201 and 247 hp and one 4.2-liter V8 with 345 hp. There is only one transmission - an 8-speed automatic "Tiptronic" from ZF.

The car has undergone constant changes, the most significant of which occurred in the 2013 and 2014 model years. During these periods, the engine lineup was updated, a facelift was carried out, and electronic components were updated.

Audi А8 D4 2010 year, rear seats

Audi А8 D4 2013 year

Audi А8 D4 2013 year, back view

Audi D5 (2017-present)

The fourth generation of Audi A8 (Typ 4N) was presented in July 2017 at an event "Audi Summit" at the Barcelona Exhibition Centre and then at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. Sales of the car began in November 2017. The standard sedan is 5,172 mm long, 1,945 mm wide, 1,473 mm high, has a wheelbase of 2,998 mm and a curb weight of 2,020 kg. For the Chinese market, Audi has been producing a series of particularly luxuriously equipped Horch Founders Editions with an extended wheelbase since the end of 2021. This car is 5,302 mm long, 1,945 mm wide, 1,485 mm high, has a wheelbase of 3,128 mm and a curb weight of 2,120 kg.

There were two petrol engine options: a 3.0-litre V6 (2995 cm³, EA839, 286/340 hp) and a 4.0-liter 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 V8 (3956 cm³, EA898, 435 hp). The gearbox installed was only an automatic eight-speed Tiptronic.


The car has a chassis with air suspension with an electric drive on each wheel, which adjusts it on uneven roads. If the car detects an impending side impact, it raises by eight centimeters to reduce the risk of injury. On request, the A8 can be prepared for driving on the motorway in heavy traffic at speeds of up to 60 km/h without the need to keep your hands on the steering wheel (level 3 Autonomous Driving).

Audi А8 D5, interior

Audi А8 D5, under the hood

Audi А8 D5, trunk