The Mercedes-Benz S500L, now assembled locally, becomes cheaper. Does this make it the last word in luxury and status or will the Audi A8 6.0L W12 spoil its party yet again?
Power, opulence and class. Three words synonymous with cars like the Audi A8 6.0L W12 I was comfortably lazing in on the back seat. I open the electronically operated laptop station as well as the snacks table integrated into the back of the co-driver’s seat, take out a can of juice from the chiller located behind the armrest and prepare to sink into a virtual world. What if I was a millionaire, being chauffeured to yet another meeting for a multi-million dollar deal in my top of the line Audi, with 12 cylinders firing lazily under the long hood, while my chauffer piloted the limousine on the expressway to Mumbai at speeds equivalent to the take off velocity of a small sized personal jet plane.
And then a huge lump of grey metal, almost the size of my four ringed luxury missile, closes in on the left side of my car. It looks striking and the first thing I notice is the three-pointed star on the hood. Do I need to feel insecure coddled inside my set of wheels, costing about same as a four bedroom flat in a lavish society in Pune? Probably yes – the grey machine in question is the now assembled in India Mercedes S500L with a much lower sticker price. Both these elite society offerings have had their share of the silver screen. The A8, for instance, was Jason Statham’s choice in Transporter 3 while the Mercedes S-Class has been there and done that. From Ocean’s Eleven to Enemy of the State, the S has been in just about any Hollywood flick involving piles of cash or a Mr. Big.
Let’s start discussing more about the Audi first. The current A8 sold in India is based on the D3 platform, first seen way back in 2002. There is no running away from the fact that this car now looks and feels dated. The third generation A8 is still months away from an Indian debut. At almost 5.2 meters, this Audi is by no means just a long sedan. It’s a limousine of sorts, though with an aluminum shell, the overall weight is kept at a low 1995kg. That’s 156 kilos less than what the S500L tips the scales at. I love my cars being low slung with even lower profile tyres and the A8 doesn’t disappoint. The 19-inch alloys add a lot of flare to an otherwise bland and sober design. Characteristic Audi elements remain including the now signature trapezoidal grille, narrow rectangle lamps and an impeccable finish. On the other hand, the three-pointed star looks elegant and to an extent flashy with the huge swooping lamps, the big splashed in chrome grille, the muscular lines including bulging arches and the raised high deck boot. In comparison to the Audi, the Merc looks much more angular and sharper in design. In fact, the high waistline running across the length of the car and flared wheel arches make it one of Mercedes’ most daring designs in recent times.
On the inside is where the action lies. Audi’s special treatment begins the moment you step in. The well-laid out cockpit transmits artistry, but I am not really a fan of the overly chocolate brown interior theme apparent by the colour of the leather and the wood inserts. That said, you find it hard to complain or find anything amiss. The MMI (Multi Information Interface) works brilliantly and the pop up Bang & Olufsen speakers on the front fascia look cool. At the back, things are even more lavish. For starters, you can adjust the front left seat by a press of a button while seated behind. Living with the car on a day to day basis, this little feature can come in handy for those who love sitting in the back seat. A second set of buttons has the laptop table popping up automatically. Brilliant. The seats aren’t really very soft but are utterly comfortable nevertheless. This is a car I thought I wouldn’t mind being chauffeured around cross-country rather than taking a business class ticket. That was till I exchanged seats and found myself at the back of the S500L.
There is a reason why the Mercedes brand is often associated with luxury. It pampers you no end. Be it the soft leather which lets you snooze or rest in comfortable or the black insides which reflect luxury in a much better way. The Merc also has two pop out tables for snacks on the go, but what really sets this car apart is the single track theme – lavishness at its best. The S is all about the luxury of simplicity. It’s the classic style and attention to detail, for instance the crafted stalks, watch, switchgear, buttons, et al which combine to give the S a special feel that the Audi simply cannot match up to. The Benz equals all the rivals (around the world) when it comes to gee-whiz features. The talking point here is that this car doesn’t depend on these goodies and features or substitute them for luxury. There is enough glam for the rappers, enough lordliness for the yuppie hedge funder who wants to cover up his born with a silver spoon reality. And yet this car is simple enough for your rich, tech-illiterate politician. The S500 has another ace up its sleeve with an extra 45mm of shoulder space for the rear seats, though its headroom is less by 30mm as compared to the Audi’s.
Both cars come powered by engines that could put to shame the best of sports cars around the world. The S500L with its eight cylinder 5461cc engine churns out 369 of the finest Stuttgart ponnies. Giving all this power company is 505Nm of torque at a low 2800rpm. What is translates into is terrific low rpm response in traffic and when the roads open up, all this 2151kg car takes is 7.44 seconds from naught to a hundred. It takes the same time to build up speeds from 100 to 150km/h as well. All this while, the car remains unruffled with the only hint to passengers being a slight giddiness due to the G forces. If you thought this was impressive, wait until you feel the raw power and gush of torque from the Audi’s 12 cylinder 5998cc engine. With 82 more horses and 75 more units of twisting force, the A8 manages to knock off .43 seconds from the Merc’s timing to 100. Worthy of mention is the layout of Audi’s 12 cylinders which makes the engine very compact. The W12 layout was developed by effectively mating two VR6 engines together at the crankshaft. If the Merc is quick, the Audi is quicker. If the Merc brings on a cheeky smile on your face, the Audi can make your hair stand up.
But it’s not outright performance that these cars are all about. It’s the way they isolate you from the outside world. In the S500L, ride quality, which is so important in this segment, is brilliant – smooth, relaxed and unfazed by road imperfections. The Airmatic suspension beautifully manages the ride and handling trade-off plus its Active Body Control manages to hold the car flat even when heeled hard into curves, though not as reassuringly as the Audi. Its famed Quattro system is in a league of its own and though the ride quality is stiffer than the Mercedes’, you really won’t be complaining unless you experience both the cars back to back over bad roads.
VERDICT
The Audi A8 W12 is a distinctive, flavourful automobile oozing a luxury feel with the right kind of power on avail. It wins hearts with top class interiors, the sheer beauty of its cabin and reassuring road manners with the Quattro system. However, the Mercedes seems to better it in most respects, especially the pricing. The theory of anyone paying over a crore not being bothered by a few lakhs doesn’t hold true here. The difference in the pricing cannot be ignored, all quarter of a crore of it. It’s about the S500L, at under a crore (ex-showroom) versus the A8 6.0L at 25 percent more – pretty clear who the outright winner is right? But for us, the S500L isn’t a winner just because it’s more affordable. This car does what a premium luxu-limo should do – it makes you feel like a king, a rich one that is. The king, however, seems likely to lose his throne in a few months from now. The third generation A8 is just around the corner. Till then, it is hard to outshine this star.
