Audi A8 is undeniably a beautiful car, modern, elegant and stylish. The A8 I owned had a solar powered sunroof, which was a groundbreaking technology to have on a car at that time. Is over technology killing the practicality? Let’s check it out.
Walkaround
Audi A8 is not Pamela Anderson with big boobs by any mean; it is a subtle and graceful car that deserves respect. That doesn’t mean that Pamela Anderson doesn’t deserve respect. What I mean is, you see Pamela Anderson after you see her boobs, isn’t it? If you disagree with me and say, you see her face first then you must be a gay!
Roundish body with very restrained sculpture lines, bright head lights, classy fog lights, black front grill with dominant four Audi circles. It moves like a soundless boat, until you press the accelerator madly. 4.2 litre V-8 engine is essentially a carryover component, but power and torque are both improved by 20 horsepower and 15 pound-feet, and engine now drives through a six-speed automatic transmission. A Tiptronic manumatic is standard.
Roundish body with very restrained sculpture lines, bright head lights, classy fog lights, black front grill with dominant four Audi circles. It moves like a soundless boat, until you press the accelerator madly. 4.2 litre V-8 engine is essentially a carryover component, but power and torque are both improved by 20 horsepower and 15 pound-feet, and engine now drives through a six-speed automatic transmission. A Tiptronic manumatic is standard.
The A8 continues with its revolutionary aluminum space frame structure, now in its second generation. Rigidity is improved 60 percent with the new space frame vs. the original, and Audi saves 136 Kilograms in car weight by using aluminum vs. a traditional steel frame. Yet the A8 which weighs more than 1900 Kilograms feels solid and secure.
Driving Impression
One of the more important assets in the upgraded A8’s portfolio is an air-suspension system with continuously adaptive damping control. Using a coaxial air struts and shocks at each corner in conjunction with an onboard compressor and elaborate electronic controls, the A8 operates in any of four driver-selected modes. The system can hike ground clearance up to 5.7 inches to negotiate obstacles, or it can lower itself on the freeway to just 3.7 inches from the road.
Furthermore, the driver can select among comfort, dynamic, lift and automatic modes according to his or her whim.
Finger touch start without the key is too advanced at the time the new Audi A8 was introduced back in 2003. What if it scans your finger print too? Marvelous! When the Ignition is ON; the burl walnut wood dash board opens a small door and a screen pops out! There is a joystick similar to the BMW’s iDrive, Audi Call it MMI (Multimedia interface). It’s a display based “infotainment” system that almost all luxury cars are having now. A rotating knob handles selection of on-screen alternatives, and eight permanently assigned buttons arranged around the center knob access the categories themselves. Thus, you might select “Car” and then find yourself looking at the air-suspension settings menu.
The Audi A8 is a technology stuffed full size luxury sedan, solar powered sunroof cannot be operated by solar power like many of you thought. Audi just call it that way, in fact it is a solar panel that helps exhauster fan to work in the car through air vents when the car is off. Automatic rear curtain, side curtains for passengers, telephone, TV, acoustic sensors in the front and rear…mmm too many to list.
Engine feels strong at any speed, but I had overly sensitive throttle action coming away from a stop. Transmission offers Drive and Sport shift positions; downshifts slow in Drive, quicker in sport, but Sport won’t shift into 6th gear on highway. I checked on Dubai business bay, Emirates Road and even on Sheikh Zayed Road. And no, it’s not the fault of my car, it built in that way.Ride quality is absorbent, though 19-inch tires generate noticeable impact harshness. Stable at speed, but large bumps can induce unsettling wallow in Comfort and Automatic modes. Sporty Dynamic mode provides impressive control and little lean. Braking is strong, steering is firm, accurate, though little light at lower speeds. Impressively quiet on almost all surfaces, I drove the car to Sharjah Industrial area side where there are rough roads, on comfort and automatic settings the road noise well muted in the cabin. Nearly silent engine emits sophisticated, muted growl in rapid acceleration. Wind mostly a whisper.
Top-notch materials and restrained design give the A8’s interior a classy look that stands out in the segment.
Problems I had
Air condition stopped working in the middle of a summer, where the outside temperature shoots up to 50 degree Celsius; replace the starter, upper control bushings, and mass air flow sensor, all these are very expensive to repair. Unlike BMW or Mercedes; spare parts are very hard to get in this part of the world, to deliver them from Germany or UK through the dealer in Dubai takes almost a month. Very hard to get used spare parts in Sharjah yards too. Aftermarket parts are almost nonexistent.
Overall
A good car to own, but really I won’t recommend this car for a middle class person whose expenses are calculated, you got to have a deep deep pocket like I said for the Porsche Cayenne, very expensive to maintain, and all the garages will not repair Audi, due to its prestigious name, the one which repairs will charge you bomb! Stay away if you are withdrawing salary monthly. This car is for those who got spare cars and a lot of other incomes!
There is a chance you're eligible for a new government sponsored solar rebate program.
ReplyDeleteClick here to discover if you qualify now!