2018 Audi A8
The best spy images so far of Audi's new
A8 show not only that the BMW 7-Series fighter is the final stages of its
development, but that our recent rendering is very close to the final product.
The car lapping the Nürburgring has a
flavor of the Prologue concept and it is refreshingly sharper than the one it
replaces thanks to its 3-D hexagonal grille, slimmer headlights and completely
redesigned, more muscular bodywork with a more shallow glasshouse and tapering
rear end.
Audi pioneered the use of an
all-aluminum spaceframe on the first-gen A8 in 1994. In its latest iteration,
Ingolstadt’s engineers combine the ASF with the VW Group’s advanced MLB Evo
platform for lower weight and crisper handling to take on its rivals from
Munich and Stuttgart.
The new architecture also allows for
improved interior space without increasing the overall dimensions and a
redesign that does away with the old controls and introduces a large touch
screen at the center console, the next-gen MMI infotainment system and voice
and gesture controls, like the new 7-Series.
Audi’s flagship, codenamed D5, will come
with two petrol engines (a 4.0-liter V8 and a 6.3-liter W12), three diesels
(3.0 V6, 4.0 V8 and 5.0 V10) and a new hybrid that will replace the
four-cylinder turbo with a 3.0-liter V6. Naturally, the standard automatic
transmissions will be coupled to the brand’s signature quattro all-wheel drive
system.
The 2018MY A8 will debut this year and
sales will commence near its end or, more likely, early-to-mid 2017.
