a8 l

Limousines and Supercars Debut at Beijing Motor Show

The gulf between perception and reality is often enough to swallow entire countries whole. Take China, for example. The images many still conjure up in their heads when thinking about the Asian giant might come down to squalid shanty towns oppressed by communist overlords. But with the free market taking a greater hold with each passing day, the People's Republic is quickly emerging as a vital market for purveyors of luxury goods, including high-end automobiles. Sure, the average peasant may be able to afford little more than a rickety bicycle, but with the world's largest population numbering over a billion people, even the top fraction of the socio-economic strata can overshadow entire nations.

Against such a backdrop, it should come as no great surprise that the world's premium automakers scrambled to the Chinese capital this year with a wide array of exotic and luxury automobiles. In fact the cars making their world debuts at this year's Beijing Motor Show were enough on their own to outshine the last major international exposition in Manhattan. Follow the jump to see what all the fuss was about.

Tags: 599, 599 gto, a8, a8 l, audi, audi a8, audi a8 l, beijing, beijing motor show, bentley, bentley continental, Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed, bentley continental flying spur speed china, Bentley Continental GT, bentley continental gt design series china, bmw, bmw Gran Coupé, bmw Gran Coupé Concept, china, citroen, citroen metropolis, emgrand, ferrari, ferrari 599 gto, geely, geely emgrand ge, Gran Coupé, lamborghini, Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce China Limited Edition, limousine, limusine, maybach, maybach 57, Maybach 62, Maybach 62 S, motor show, pekin, phaeton, stretch, stretch wheelbase, stretched limo, stretched limousine, volkswagen, volkswagen phaeton

Continue reading “Limousines and Supercars Debut at Beijing Motor Show”

Audi Debuts Long-Wheelbase A8 Limousine in Beijing

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're looking for the lap of luxury without the extroverted opulence associated with a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, have a look at the new Audi A8 L. Set to be officially unveiled shortly at the Beijing Motor Show in China where long-wheelbase luxury limousines are in high demand, the A8 L sits at the very top of Audi's range as its new flagship saloon.

With an extra half-foot of length on its standard-wheelbase progenitor, the A8 L features a rear seating area fit for a king. A full-length center console separates the fully adjustable recliner seats – each has 25 adjustable motors – with lap trays, refrigerator, controls and more. There's a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, twin 10.2-inch LCD displays, and a front passenger seat that can fold up out of the way with a deployable footrest for the lucky passenger in the back.

Don't think that the Audi A8 L is only about the creature comforts, though. Power comes from a 6.3-liter W12 engine driving 500 horsepower to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission, rocketing this mobile palace to sixty in 4.9 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

Gallery: Audi A8 L