Wealthy people in Beijing pay someone else to do the driving, so it's only sensible that Audi is unveiling the long-wheelbase version of its redesigned A8 at China's top auto show next week.
We Americans prefer the A8 L, too, but more for the extra legroom than the chauffeurability. Both the 2011 Audi A8 L and the regular-wheelbase A8 shown in Detroit go on sale in the U.S. this fall.
Like the normal-size A8, the L is built out of aluminum and thus far lighter than most other full-size luxury sedans. Its 122.9-inch wheelbase stretches 5 inches longer than the standard A8's, and the L stretches 207.4 inches from nose to tail (+ 5.2 inches). For reference, the 2011 A8 L is 3 inches longer than the old-gen A8 L with a 2-inch longer wheelbase.
Of course, Audi's direct-injected 4.2-liter V8 rated at 372 horsepower and 328 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic driving all four wheels through a Quattro all-wheel-drive system (with a 60/40 rearward bias), this engine is good enough, but come Spring 2011, there will be a more interesting alternative for U.S.-market A8s.
Audi's new 6.3-liter W12 FSI engine, also direct-injected, is the other major unveiling in Beijing. It's a bored-out version of the previous 6.0-liter W12 and makes a heady 500 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque -- up from 450 hp and 428 lb-ft. Squirting the fuel directly into the combustion chambers cools down the intake charge, so Audi was able to raise compression from 11.0:1 to 11.8.
That, and the adoption of the 8-speed automatic, results in a claimed 12-percent reduction in fuel consumption over the 2009 A8 L W12 (the W12 was discontinued for 2010). More crucially for a W12 buyer, this powertrain will reportedly haul the big sedan to 60 mph in the high-4-second range.
j84ustin says:
09:04 AM, 04/16/10
The character line looks a lot like the Volvo S80 from the late 90s/2000s.
campi3ell says:
01:34 AM, 04/18/10
It's the COLOR! WHY has this vehicle and the Bentley Mulsanne been introduced with this champagne color? It makes the vehicle look very generic, and dare I say boring. The interior is just stunning, but I'm not fond of that shade on the seat. I think a simple black is best for luxury sedans, at least introductions.
coolb944 says:
04:58 PM, 04/19/10
I felt silly when a little while ago on this blog, Inside Line was showing spy shots of a possible new S8, and I asked if it could possibly be the W12. A few people told me it wasn't happening, and that the W12 wasn't coming back. I guess I wasn't that crazy after all huh?