The first time I set my eyes on the A8 as it was unveiled in Miami, it looked absolutely stunning. The best part about the A8 L is that it is undoubtedly a big car, but does not look its size. The sporty design makes the car look much smaller than it really is. Incidentally, every time I test a new car, especially one from the super luxury segment, I feel that this is it. Now it will be very difficult for the manufacturer to improve upon this car. However, every time a new version is launched, it somehow succeeds in raising the bar to another level, making the previous one look dated, even obsolete.
The A8 is the only luxury car that is constructed around an aluminium space frame and, as a result, it is lighter and has greater rigidity than the conventional steel monocoque. For this generation, Audi have focused on using aluminium alloys, whose extra strength makes the A8’s structure 25 per cent sturdier and more rigid than before.
Super luxury segment cars are all about breaking barriers and setting new benchmarks. When it comes to the interior, Audi have the philosophy that luxury does not mean excess and extravagance, but, rather, elegance and a cultivated style.
The moment you open the door and step inside the car, you can feel the class and quality of this car. The interior of this large luxo-limo is path-breaking, from the automatic gear selector to the touch pad MMI system, and the list goes on and on. The 22-way adjustable seat and steering ensure the driving position you desire.
The standard A8 L comes with a three-seat rear bench. However, the two-seat rear bench option is the most desirable one, because you can recline in it as in a business class seat of an aircraft. Once you make yourself comfortable in it, you just don’t feel like getting out. The quality and fit finish of the interior have been taken to another (and higher) level. Suffice it to say that this car thoroughly spoils its occupants with all the luxury and comfort offered by it!
We could keep on talking about the interior for ever, but now let’s get down to the business end, which is driving this beauty. After a small presentation at the Audi Forum at Munich airport I collected the key (fob) to the 6.3-litre W12 A8, since this and the 4.2 petrol will be the first to arrive in India later this year.
