Review
The Audi A8 has always been the choice of the executive with a persecution complex – the type who believes the world hates a show-off. Hence they don't like buying Mercedes-Benz or BMWs for fear of being a little too over-exposed in the eyes of the jealous public and less well-paid employees, and instead prefer the less conspicuous charms of Audi.
So the new A8, unlike the new 7-series, sticks very closely to the formula that gave the old car its niche in the luxury sector, and plays its lavish side down. That's not to say it is not a very imposing car. It is extremely handsome, particularly at the rear, although I personally preferred the even more understated nose of the old A8 to the strips and flashes of chrome that adorn this car.
Weighing in from £54,980 on-the-road, the 335bhp 4.2 Quattro is aimed at small businesses whose chiefs drive themselves about – the very same market that BMW is going for with the 7-series. Interestingly, considering the differing approaches of the two cars – radical and conservative – CAP estimates the A8 4.2 and 745i will both retain 36% of their cost new after three-years/ 60,000-miles.
Audi expects to sell just over 500 4.2 Quattros in 2003 and nearly 900 in the first full year, taking just over half of the total volume. There is a 4.0 TDI coming in summer, although Audi still believes the big petrol will be the sales leader.
The new A8 is phenomenally light: the 4.2-litre weighs only 1,780kg, which for a car of its size is excellent. The Mercedes-Benz S430 is 1,875kg, which illustrates just how integral the Aluminium Space Frame chassis is to the A8 package particularly as it has to cancel out much of the extra weight of the Quattro system. First used on an A8 in 1994, ASF is no gimmick, and Audi has pared down the number of castings used to reduce the number of parts and joins, and therefore shave weight and stiffen up the shell.
As a result, the new A8 is 38% stiffer than the old one, and Audi claims 60% stiffer than its rivals, while the body structure weighs only 215kgs. And as weight is the nemesis of performance, fuel consumption and therefore emissions, it's a good thing not just for pleased-with-themselves Audi engineers, but for drivers as well.
The 4.2 Quattro will hit 62mph from a standing start in 6.3 seconds, a full second quicker than an S430, and will do 23.5mpg on the combined cycle, which is actually worse than the S430 (24.6mpg).
Emissions are better than in the old A8 as well. Despite a power hike of 30bhp and torque improvements which put it at the head of its class, CO2 levels are down from 314g/km to 286g/km, although for those paying benefit-in-kind, it is irrelevant as levels are still way above the 35% threshold.
With a six-speed automatic box with Tiptronic paddles behind the steering wheel, it is pretty obvious that performance is the key selling point of the A8. Ride heights can be set using the Multi Media Interface (MMI), and like all its functions is as slick and easy-to-use as any driver with an aversion to reading instruction manuals could want. Unlike BMW's much-maligned iDrive system, the MMI is simpler.
The MMI system scrolls elegantly in and out of various modes with a digitised flourish worthy of the Starship Enterprise, with the driver using a control panel to zoom through various modes.
Like the NFORM system in the Nissan Primera, the button layout is replicated on the screen to make the whole process intuitive, although naturally – given the respective money involved – it has been done in a slicker and more stylish manner. Even the most committed technophobe will have to admit defeat.
The interior is typically Audi and beautifully put together and the high leather-clad transmission tunnel gives the driver a hemmed-in, sporty feel. It is better-looking and less manic than the BMW 7-series, although I don't particularly like the ugly stereo controls on the steering wheel.
Behind the wheel
It is often the case on a launch that the manufacturer's confidence in a car can be judged from the type of route chosen. Handles like a sofa strapped to a skateboard? Long straight roads with a bend at each end.
Audi chose windy, tight mountain roads with less straight lines than a bowl of Alphabetti Spaghetti. The A8 is a big, big car, and on a number of occasions seemed more than half the width of the road itself.
This potentially could have been a tiring, stressful experience, shoehorning a £55,000 car between armco barriers and tractors, but it wasn't.
In fact, it was a joy. The A8 feels shrink-wrapped around the driver because of the combination of precise, communicative steering and planted four-wheel drive. At any point it is easy to readjust the position of the car to avoid sudden obstacles as its mass is beautifully controlled by the adaptive air suspension.
Grip is also phenomenal, although don't get carried away and get on the throttle too early: the Quattro system will drive away from the inside of the bend and into the middle of the road.
Audi believes, as it would considering the money and time spent on it, that cars of this nature should always be four-wheel drive. More than 300bhp and tens of thousands of pounds' worth of car should not be looked after by power fed just through the rear wheels, particularly in the wet.
The firm may have a point. This car is great fun to drive, wet or dry, and feels totally assured and safe, despite its power.
Add in vast disc brakes supported by an Electronic Stabilisation Program, ABS, ASR traction control, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Electronic Differential Lock and hydraulic brake assist and you have a car that is as good at stopping as it is at going. In fact, I don't think there was a point on the route where I needed to use the brakes anywhere near their full potential.
Which is strange because the six-speed Tiptronic gearbox and the 335bhp V8 give the car some serious shove. The hard-edged bark of the V8 under acceleration is a great sound, although it stays whisper-quiet if running calmly.
The only gripe would be that the gearbox is not as smooth as the one in the Mercedes-Benz S-class, particularly pulling away, but that is about it. Because of the nature of the beast, the ride is firmer than an S-class, but that should not count against it with the type of buyer Audi is aiming for.
Driving verdict
FOUR-wheel drive for added grip and extensive use of aluminium in its chassis mean that A8 is something of a lightweight in this heavyweight sector. While it might not have the 'waftability' of the Mercedes-Benz S-class, the Audi offers a more sporting flavour for drivers who find the BMW 7-series a turn-off.
Model: Audi A8 4.2 quattro
Engine (cc): 4,172
Power (bhp/rpm): 335/6,500
Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 317/3,500
Max speed (mph): 155 (limited)
0-62mph (sec): 6.3
Fuel consumption (mpg): 23.5
CO2 emissions (g/km): 286
Transmission: 6-speed Tiptronic
Fuel tank capacity (l/gal): 90/19.8
Service interval (miles): 19,000/ two years (Audi Variable Servicing)
On sale: May
Price (OTR): £54,980
