The New 2011 Audi A8 Unveiled

01 December, 2009 07:33:00

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Audi has launched the third generation of its A8 luxury sedan much of the A8â€™s exterior design is lifted from the A4, especially around the front and rear.

The 2011 Audi A8 luxury sedan, set to arrive at Europeans dealerships in early 2010 and a few months later at North American market, is a technical work of art.

Using latest technology, the company has achieved an impressive average 20% reduction in carbon outputs and 15% better fuel economy over the previous generation A8. Six percent of the improved fuel economy is attributable to the transmission, while the rest comes from the engine calibration and overall gearing.

The carmaker also plans an A8 with a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain but will not introduce a diesel hybrid A8, CEO Rupert Stadler told journalists at the car's unveiling in Miami on Monday.

Much of the A8’s exterior design is lifted from the A4, especially around the front and rear. Its elegant and forceful body is aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF), weighing about 40 percent less than a comparable steel structure.

The interior is captivating, with its new and spacious design and uncompromisingly high-quality workmanship full of attention to the smallest detail. The comfort on board is first class – from new, emotionally charged ambient lighting to the luxurious, power adjustable seats in the rear.

The Audi A8 combines a new level of intelligence with exemplary and easy operation. Its multimedia interface (MMI) includes a pioneering innovation: Combined with the optional navigation system it has a touchpad. MMI touch enables the driver to control many functions intuitively; for example, the navigation destination can be entered by tracing the letters on the pad.

The new technologies include a night vision assist with marking of detected pedestrians, the Audi pre sense safety system as well as – in the course of 2010 – a speed limit display.

Another high-end solution on board the new A8 is the full LED headlights, which use light emitting diodes for all light functions. They give the luxury sedan an unmistakable appearance even in daylight and even more so after the fall of darkness. The revolutionary optics used in these headlights mean a departure from the tubular light modules commonly used today. The full LED headlights herald a new chapter in lighting technology.

ENGINES

Western Europe gets a 3.0-liter TDI V-6, a 3.2-liter FSI V-6, and 4.2-liter turbodiesel and gas direct-injection V-8s, while North American buyers will get the car only with that latter engine, upgraded to 372 horsepower and 328 pound-feet.

All engines feature direct fuel injection, and consume up to 22 percent less fuel than their respective predecessors.

The engines in the A8 have intelligent elements from Audi’s modular efficiency system on board. During deceleration the recuperation system converts the kinetic energy to electric power, which is buffered in the battery. In the innovative thermal management a computer monitors numerous actuators for the ideal distribution of the heat flows between the engine, transmission and interior in any situation. After the cold start the engine is temporarily fully uncoupled from the cooling circuit, considerably shortening the warm-up phase with its high loss of friction.

The 4.2 FSI draws 273 kW (372 hp) of power from 4,163 cm3 displacement, generating its maximum of 445 Nm (328.22 lb-ft) torque at 3,500 rpm. It accelerates the A8 from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, with the propulsion ending (as in all engine variants) at the electronically controlled speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). In the EU cycle the strong gasoline engine is content with 9.5 liters/100 km (24.76 US mpg) – a reduction by 1.4 liters or 13 percent compared with the predecessor, at a power increase of 16 kW (22 hp). The CO2 emission rate is only 219 g/km (352.45 g/mile).

The most important reason for this enhanced power is the reduction of internal friction, especially in the chain drive for the camshafts and auxiliaries. The controlled oil pump with changeover between two pressure stages operates with high efficiency. Like all gasoline engines from Audi, the V8 has FSI direct injection. It allows a high compression of 12.5:1, for increased power and efficiency.

800 Nm (590.05 lb-ft) torque: the 4.2 TDI
The 4.2 TDI is another high-tech engine. Its displacement of 4,134 cm3 yields 258 kW (350 hp) and a hefty torque of 800 Nm (590.05 lb-ft), already available at speeds between 1,750 and 2,750 rpm. The V8 accelerates the A8 like a sports car. The sprint from rest to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) is accomplished in 5.5 seconds. The output has increased by 18 kW (24 hp) and 150 Nm (110.63 lb-ft), while the standard consumption has dropped by 1.8 liters/100 km – a full 19 percent. The new A8 4.2 TDI still consumes only 7.6 liters/100 km (30.95 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 199 g/km (320.26 g/mile).

The enhanced performance results above all from increased pressure of the common rail system, which now injects at 2000 bar. The reduction of the internal friction was another focus of development; the two turbochargers and the exhaust gas recirculation system have also been largely overhauled.

The two V8 engines are to be joined by a six-cylinder version shortly after
the market launch – the 3.0 TDI has also been thoroughly overhauled. It mobilizes 184 kW (250 hp) from its 2,967 cm3 displacement and draws 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) onto the crankshaft at 1,500 to 3,000 rpm – 13 kW (17 hp) and 100 Nm (73.76 lb-ft) more than previously.

The V6 diesel brings the A8 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 6.6 seconds. On the average it needs only 6.6 liters of fuel per 100 km (35.64 US mpg) – an improvement of 1.9 liters/100 km or 22 percent. Per kilometer it emits merely 174 g CO2 (280.03 g/mile). The standard 3.0 TDI operates with a start-stop system. It switches off the engine when the A8 comes to a standstill, and restarts the engine as soon as the driver’s foot leaves the brake.

At a later point in time Audi will add a second variant of the V6 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp). Driving exclusively the front wheels, its efficiency is exemplary. In the EU driving cycle the new engine needs only 6.0 liters/100 km (39.20 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 159 g/km (255.89 g/mile).

The new tiptronic: eight speeds for more comfort and efficiency
The standard new transmissions also play a large role in increasing efficiency – the extremely convenient 8-speed tiptronic finely graduates its eight gears while achieving a large overall spread. Its control system is purely electronic, operated with an elegant selector level and rocker switches at the steering wheel. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive has a distinct sporty and rear-end character. On request, the sport differential dynamically distributes the forces between the rear wheels; on the A8 4.2 TDI this feature is standard.

The new A8 also documents its standing as the sportiest luxury sedan on the market in the chassis sector. The distribution of the axle loads is balanced, and all wheel control arms are aluminum. The adaptive air suspension together with adaptive damping is always on board, forming part of the Audi drive select vehicle dynamics system, also standard. The optional dynamic steering is a supplementary component.

In the field of multimedia Audi also offers many attractive modules. They include a sound system from Bang & Olufsen, with an output of over 1,400 watts and 19 speakers, and include state-of-the-art online services. The new Audi A8 has gained in dynamics, convenience, prestige and intelligence, setting new standards in all sectors.

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