Always Smooth, Always Comfortable and Always Swift
When it comes to large Audis, everything has to do with 8. Flip through old magazines and you'll soon find that Audi's first venture into the ultra-premium segment was with a vehicle simply called the V8. After a short run, it eventually evolved into the plain-clothes A8. Given the fact
that these were and still are the brand's halo vehicles, power comes from large eight-cylinder cylinders (although V6s and more recently W12s are also available in select markets). The time span between the first generation and second generation A8 was, you guessed it, 8 years.
Range-topping Audis have hardly been sales hits. Blame could rest on any number of issues, ranging from less than inspiring driving dynamics, plain looks or just a general lack of brand appeal in the upper range of the premium sedan market. The current A8, mind you, has changed perceptions about Audi on the whole, and by so doing improved sales of the full-size luxury sedan dramatically.
It is, therefore, my great pleasure to tell you that after finally getting behind the wheel of a short-wheelbase 2005 model, just as the slightly
revised 2006 is arriving in showrooms, Audi's flagship has surpassed all of my expectations.
While Audi is known across the world for its quattro all-wheel drive systems, it's now also being recognized as an aluminum expert. The 2005 model year A8, like the old one and new 2006, makes extensive use of aluminum for its body and chassis. The eight-year gap between the first and second-gen A8s gave Audi the time to polish its ASF, short for Audi Space Frame. It learned from the quirky but innovative A2 subcompact, halving the number of components used, yet improving the structural rigidity by a significant 60 percent. The "Space Frame" chassis is then clad with trimmed and pressed alloy body panels.
When it comes to large Audis, everything has to do with 8. Flip through old magazines and you'll soon find that Audi's first venture into the ultra-premium segment was with a vehicle simply called the V8. After a short run, it eventually evolved into the plain-clothes A8. Given the fact
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| The current A8 has changed perceptions about Audi on the whole. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Range-topping Audis have hardly been sales hits. Blame could rest on any number of issues, ranging from less than inspiring driving dynamics, plain looks or just a general lack of brand appeal in the upper range of the premium sedan market. The current A8, mind you, has changed perceptions about Audi on the whole, and by so doing improved sales of the full-size luxury sedan dramatically.
It is, therefore, my great pleasure to tell you that after finally getting behind the wheel of a short-wheelbase 2005 model, just as the slightly
 |
| While Audi is known across the world for its quattro all-wheel drive systems, it's now also being recognized as an aluminum expert. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
While Audi is known across the world for its quattro all-wheel drive systems, it's now also being recognized as an aluminum expert. The 2005 model year A8, like the old one and new 2006, makes extensive use of aluminum for its body and chassis. The eight-year gap between the first and second-gen A8s gave Audi the time to polish its ASF, short for Audi Space Frame. It learned from the quirky but innovative A2 subcompact, halving the number of components used, yet improving the structural rigidity by a significant 60 percent. The "Space Frame" chassis is then clad with trimmed and pressed alloy body panels.