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2018 Audi A8: off the hook photos from the glitzy expose, Motoring Research

2018 Audi A8: special photos from the glitzy expose

The fresh two thousand eighteen Audi A8 has been exposed at the captivating Audi Summit event in Barcelona.

The fresh rival for the BMW seven Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class is, unsurprisingly, loaded with tech, including a fully autonomous mode that uses Audi’s piloted driver system to control the car entirely at speeds of up to 37mph. This makes it the very first car to reach ‘Level Three’ autonomy – ahead of the S-Class and even groundbreaking start-up Tesla.

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Unluckily, legislation is yet to catch up, so we won’t be able to use all the car’s autonomous features when it arrives in the UK. To counter this, the A8 also uses lower levels of automation to provide a smoother drive. When stopped in traffic, for example, the stop-start system uses sensors to detect when vehicles in front are beginning to stir, then starts the engine ahead of setting off.

Slick operator

Another clever feature is the A8’s electromechanically actuated suspension. This uses a front-mounted camera to monitor the road ahead eighteen times a 2nd. If it detects a bump coming up, it prepares the dampers to provide a smoother rail. Sensors can also detect an imminent side-impact crash and raise the A8’s bod on one side by as much as 8mm in half a 2nd – transferring the force of the crash to the car’s strongest areas (i.e. the floor and side sills).

Styling is typically Audi, influenced by the Prologue concept exposed at the two thousand fourteen LA Auto Display. Despite a coupe-esque roofline, designers say there’s an extra 20mm of headroom in the rear versus the outgoing model, while a higher beltline than previous Audis gives it a more purposeful look. Albeit its design is far from shocking, it’s fairly a fantastic car in the metal.

Light fantastic

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At the front, the A8 gets Audi’s clever laser lighting, while at the rear an LED light unwrap with OLED tech performs trick illuminations as the driver approaches the car.

The A8’s bodyshell is a hybrid construction using four different materials: steel, aluminium, magnesium and carbonfibre. This adds up to 282kg minus running gear – 51kg more than the outgoing model. As for the kerb weight… Audi will expose that in due course.

As seen on screen

The interior is suitably luxurious, and a marked improvement over its ageing predecessor. Audi has paid superb attention to detail, while also keeping things ordinary. A Ten.1-inch touchscreen predominates the dash, helping clear it of buttons and switches, while a secondary touchscreen provides controls for the air conditioning and other convenience functions.

Buyers will primarily get a choice of two V6 turbocharged engines carried over from its predecessor in the form of a 286hp Trio.0-litre diesel and a 340hp Trio.0-litre petrol, while an eight-cylinder Four.0-litre turbodiesel producing 435hp will go after next year.

Plug-in planned

A 6.0-litre W12 will eventually top the range, while a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining a Trio.0-litre petrol engine with an electrical motor to produce 449hp will be launched in future, too. This will provide an electric-only range of thirty one miles, while recharging can be carried out using wireless tech.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but expect a puny increase on the A8’s current £63,520 start-price when orders open later in 2017.

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