audi a8

Audi Unveils the New Armored A8 L Security

In hostile parts of the world, there can be no greater luxury than security. And the Audi A8 L Security has both in spades.

Based on the company's flagship long-wheelbase luxury sedan, the A8 L Security upgrades with enough armor plating and bulletproof glass to earn German VR 7 ballistic certification and withstand barrage from everything from assault rifles to anti-tank mines.

To help extricate itself from sticky situations, the A8 L Security is equipped with a 500-horsepower W-12 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. But don't expect it to come cheap. The previous model cost about $685,000, and we wouldn't expect the new version to cost much less.

Tags: a8, Audi, Audi A8, Audi A8 L Security, geneva motor show

2012 Audi A6 Arrives in the New Year

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Audi AG has taken the covers off the 2012 Audi A6, which will go on sale early next year.

The German automaker also announced that both hybrid and diesel versions of the luxury sedan will be produced.

The redesign of the A6 has been done to fit into the new design family at Audi, exemplified by the 2011 A8 sedan. Among the interior changes to the new A6: a new interior with a wrap-around dashboard, wood paneling and seats that are heated, cooled and able to massage the driver whilst driving.

The diesel engine choices will include a 2.0-liter turbo diesel that Audi is claiming will get 48 miles to the gallon. Audi will also continue to offer the 3.0-liter TFSI engine from the current A6 with 300-hp and 27-mpg.

The new A6 will also be available with a hybrid drivetrain. The 2012 Audi A6 hybrid will be Audi's second hybrid model after the Q5, and will be powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine coupled to an electric motor and an eight-speed transmission.

Tags: Audi, Audi A6, Audi A8, Audi diesel, Audi hybrid

Limousines and Supercars Debut at Beijing Motor Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

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.

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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

Tags: a8, a8 l, audi, audi a8, audi a8 l, beijing, beijing motor show, limousine, long wheelbase, long-wheelbase

2010 Geneva Motor Show: Ze Germans

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Germany is the very epicenter of the European automotive industry, playing host to several of the world's largest and most significant automakers. But with the Frankfurt expo forced to alternate with the Paris salon, Geneva is the closest to a home turf international auto show these companies have.

Ever keen to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge automotive innovations and show the world their newest developments, Germany's automakers crossed the border into Switzerland this year with a virtually unprecedented array of new vehicles. Follow the jump to read and see what they brought.

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Audi A8 Hybrid 'Design Study' Currently on Display in Geneva

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

Audi A8 Hybrid design study – Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to a very interesting electrified A1 e-tron concept, Audi is also showing off a hybridized version of its range-topping A8 sedan at this year's Geneva Motor Show, which it claims offers V6-levels of power with four-cylinder fuel efficiency and emissions. Backing up that claim are reported power figures of 245 horsepower (45 of which can be supplied from the electric motor) and 354 pound-feet of torque. The run to 62 miles per hour is said to take about 7.5 seconds and fuel mileage comes in at 38 miles per gallon on the EU cycle. That's about a 20-percent improvement over the standard car.

As a full hybrid, the A8 design study can run on electricity only for up to 1.2 miles at speeds of 40 miles per hour or less. Above that, the 2.0-liter TFSI engine takes over. A lithium ion battery pack of unknown capacity resides in the trunk, but Audi makes sure to point out that there's still over 14 cubic-feet of space back there for storage. The German automaker also makes pains to assure that the A8 Hybrid is still "an extremely dynamic car" – one that just so happens to return good fuel efficiency.

Check out our gallery of high-res images below, and be sure to note the Prism Silver paint with Spectra Flair (yes, really) rainbow effect and 21-inch two-color wheels. Also, check out the prominent hybrid badging on each front fender along with the door sills (illuminated, naturally) and inside on the new Powermeter in the instrument cluster. Still want more? Click past the break for the complete press release.

Gallery: Audi A8 Hybrid Design Study

[Source: Audi]

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Bang & Olufsen Makes Sound Sound Better in the New Audi A8

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Luxury Cars & Autos

The recently unveiled Audi A8 contains so much wizardry that we hear Merlin has made it his official conveyance when duties necessitate leaving Camelot. The A8 is made of aluminum. It can tell whether cars ahead of you are signaling a turn. It can read speed limit signs (Merlin's not so happy about where that one is going, neither are we...). Its thermal imaging system can detect people 300 feet away. The adaptive lighting system knows when you're going to turn because it's paying attention to the same navigation system that you are. It has Google Earth.

It also has 19 speakers, part of the second generation Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System. That is five more speakers than in the first generation B&O system. That is probably 10 more than you have in your entire living room, the size of which -- unless you live in Manhattan -- most likely dwarfs the interior space of an A8. Four of those are in the rear, to create a "movie-theater-like" experience that makes up for lacking popcorn by substituting LED mood lighting.

Rated at 1,400 watts, and with the rear seat entertainment package and "Movie" mode, you might as well be in a theater. Although we probably wouldn't recommend you conduct date nights on the rear bench, in a pinch it can certainly make for some rewarding interludes. Unless, that is, you live in Manhattan, and in that case an evening in the back of an A8 could be just the kind of thrilling, and roomy, getaway you've been looking for...

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