2011 A8D4: quattro meets Opulence
Photos and text by Melissa J Knight
It’s worth the wait. For anyone who thinks that Audi’s December 2009 World Premiere of the A8 D4 is old news and that the model will be anti-climactic when it finally reaches showrooms next week, think again. This four-star sedan will give heightened states of pleasure — beyond what Audi originally described. As is often the case, they under-promise and over-deliver.
The 2011 A8 D4 is first class. It is also first in class (the luxury sedan segment rivaling the 7 series, S class and LS) with more than a few technology and design features. The Über-cruiser, as it is becoming known, also has several firsts for the four rings.
With a projected profile of buyers with a median income of over $400,000, high power executives, chauffeurs who drive them, and enthusiasts with kids, will all be impressed by the performance, safety, lush features, and posh design details of the new A8. Whereas the A8 D3 felt very masculine to this writer, Audi developed the x chromos for its latest incarnation. Feeling at liberty to speak on behalf of all women, the D4 holds great appeal.
Weighing in at 4409 lbs the D4 is 2 1/2 inches longer, 1 1/2 wider and 1/2 taller. Yet it is 15 lbs lighter than its predecessor. It has a smaller drag co-efficiency, cx.026 compared to .029. Upgraded from the 6-speed tiptronic its 8-speed transmission is a shift by wire. At the push of a button located on the steering wheel, the car changes from drive mode to full manual controlled by paddle shifters. It’s smooth and fast. With a boost in hp and torque, 372 vs 350; 328 vs 317, the D4 is about 10-12 % more fuel efficient: 27 highway, 21 city. You can bet this sleek-styled machine spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel.
On a test drive from the ritzy Avenue of the Stars to the twisties of Corral Canyon, the car goes from luxury rider on the boulevards to making tight turns with ease and it is very surefooted, making it feels much smaller than it really is. In drive mode it’s a dream, shifts are barely perceivable, and in tip or sport mode it can be devilish. If you’re prone to getting speeding tickets, you’ll want to engage the speed alert. It was a logical decision for Audi to use bigger brakes with racecar technology: the caliper is an aluminum mono block. When you burn rubber, you’ll need the semi-floating rotors to cool down. Audi is the first in class to use them.
Moving to option packages, there’s enough a la carte items for Audi to present them on a menu.
The much touted touch pad is a first for brand, and a unique feature in the segment. Very intuitive and easy to input, you can draw a word without looking down, or write a number, and this navigational system knows what you mean. Speaking directions is also possible, but for chauffeurs transporting people on conference calls, this is not the most effective. Progressive, practical and safe, expect the A7 and the next A6 to include a touch pad as well.
Night vision is also a first for Audi. Originally developed for the military, it required cutting some red tape for Audi to employ it. (BMW: Prepare for battle.) The camera detects heat, so when the car in front of you has hot tailpipes, you’ll see them in contrast to everything else that appears black or gray on screen. Humans and large animals appear white, and this system also highlights the moving silhouette within a rectangle. When the rectangle is yellow, the mammal is outside the path of the vehicle. When the highlight turns, to red it means you’re within approximately 30 feet (91 meters), and about to hit something. In case you’re visually distracted, as extra security feature, the car will sound a dong. (Do not try this at home.)
Full LED headlights: Faceted like a jewel they are new to the A8D4 and it is first in class to have everything in full LED – low beam, high beam, signal lights, fog lights and adaptive cornering lights.
Extreme surround sound: The A8D4 standard is Bose, now more powerful with 14 speakers and 685 watts. As an option there’s B&O with 19 speaker and 1400 watts. My demo did not have this audio delight, but I do know that compared to the D3 system, which was retrofitted, this time B&O engineers worked with Audi designating the spaces they wanted to install speakers. Engineers spent 300 hours of fine-tuning the B&O audio system on this A8. If the surround sound is not enough to make your day or night, there’s the . . .
Magical massage seats: Another first in segment. Other brands use a lumbar air bag to mimic massage, but Audi engineers pushed the envelope with seats that have separate air chambers offering 5 different massages, and each has 5 intensities. This massage action lasts for 10-minute intervals — and you can use it when the engine is off, but the car has to be powered up.
Also available are heated seats, and cool ventilation. And, yes, you can have all three going at the same time — a heated seat with cool ventilation, and massage. Need I say more about this bliss mobile?
Another unique feature is the massage option for rear seats. It’s part of the super deluxe executive package (for the longer wheelbase) which includes: fully reclining seats, electric foot rests, two 10″ MMI screens, as well as heat and ventilation. The interior of this car is a royal experience in and of itself.
There’s no liquor bar and you won’t need one because this car has an intoxicating effect. If you don’t have a million bucks when you get in, you’ll feel like you do before you get out.
If you’re on a five–figure budget, you’ll be quite happy with the stock version of the D4. Personalize the interior ambient lighting in three different colors: ivory, polar and polar/ruby, and change the mood to suit how you feel at any time.
Like on a Bentley or Rolls Royce, and in keeping with the D3, every piece of wood trim comes from the same trunk, so there’s a consistent grain. Other than a Rolls Royce, it’s the only full size luxury sedan that uses an aluminum space frame. As a reminder of the materials, everything that looks like aluminum is real aluminum, right down to the buttons on the interior aluminum panels.
Even the aluminum trim on the bottom of the door is not an add-on. Visible from the outside, when you open door, the trim continues to the inside of vehicle.
On the exterior, working with aluminum to form crests is not an easy feat. A very precise process was needed to create a new subtle bend on the rear body panel.
These are the kind of details that contribute to Audi’s outstanding design sophistication, and distinguish the brand from the competition
And then there’s that unmistakably fierce grille. Eight chrome and polished black bars turned heads from burley bikers to a Jag driver in Malibu. It looks mean on the new color Oolong Grey (pictured), and Audi will also offer three shades of black.
Audi never rests on its laurels, and a couple improvements have been made since the D3. Previously, the adaptive cruise control was not a full stop. At around 16 mph or 12 mph it would disconnect itself so the driver would be back in charge. With the D4, when you have adaptive cruise control on, if the car in front of you stops, your car will stop by itself. The adaptive air suspension is also better. This technology had been sourced out to a supplier, but the current generation was developed in house.
New to this model, you can also have Audi drive select which gives you more control of how the cars responds at any given time.
The only other option one might like is TDI. For the European market, two engine choices will be produced. Given Audi of America’s strategy of bringing over larger model TDIs, let’s not rule out seeing it on our shores.
Audi should give a satisfaction guarantee with the A8D4. But don’t take my word for it. Demos are scheduled to be released to dealers by the first week of September.
For normal wheel base only. The (five inch) longer wheel base is slated for November.
Pricing still to be announced.
Designers who worked on this model are Christian Winkelmann (ext) and Jens Sieber (int).
Mellisa J. Knight is an independent contributor for QuattroWorld.com and also runs the “Quattro Joy” group on facebook.
opulence…audi has it.
WOW! Great article. I’m excited, and I work here.
The content is very exciting and I can almost understand. Please keep going on and continue to add excellent posts. That’s big help for me. You are tops.Great! You have done a terrific job communicating your message. I totally agree with your opinion. Thanks! Your atical is really surprising.The article is very helpful to me. The more I read, the more I keep coming back!