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2005 Audi A8 4.2 Road Test

Always Smooth, Always Comfortable and Always Swift

When it comes to large Audis, everything has to do with 8. Flip through old magazines and youll soon find that Audis 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 brands 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.
The current A8 has changed perceptions about Audi on the whole. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) />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, Audis flagship has surpassed all of my expectations.

While Audi is known across the world for its quattro all-wheel drive systems, its 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

While Audi is known across the world for its quattro all-wheel drive systems, its now also being recognized as an aluminum expert. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

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. In a class where cars often exceed five yards in length and are loaded to the gills with electronics, big engines, and other heavy additions, minimizing weight is a serious issue. Audis decision to put its largest car on a strict light-metal diet really helps to keep curb weight in check (its not a fad diet either). Even with all-wheel drive, it is lighter than both of its German rivals, BMWs 7 and Mercedes S. For more evidence, just look at its steel-bodied equivalent, VWs Phaeton that is some 440 lbs heavier. As such, the tagline, "Class without Mass" is well

Audis decision to put its largest car on a strict light-metal diet really helps to keep curb weight in check. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

applied.

Its worth noting that the A8 is no longer the sole upper-sized vehicle to feature aluminum intensive construction; Jaguars retro-styled XJ uses the same lightweight metal, engineered as an extruded monocoque chassis held together by rivets and epoxy.

With all that talk about the A8s advanced chassis, lets look at what else was new for 2005. For starters, Audi took the opportunity to expand the range, adding an ultra-luxurious range-topper powered by the almighty 6.0-liter W12 engine and featuring the new crest-like corporate grille that is now becoming standard issue on all 2006 model year A8s. Elsewhere in the world, the A8 also received a new diesel engine, and a base 3.2-liter FSI V6 and CVT combo from the A6 and A4 models (unavailable in North America). Audi also decided to bring over

I think its exterior has the right creases and pleats on its taut skin. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the regular-length model, which is now offered alongside the initial long-wheelbase L model.
 
The A8 being featured in this review is one of my favorite large sedans from a styling standpoint. While some may find it a little on the bland side compared to some of Audis smaller cars, I think its exterior has the right creases and pleats on its taut skin. Its understated and civilized yet coolly suave - exactly the way a flagship luxury sedan ought to be. It doesnt look as if its blindfolded chief stylist grabbed a machete and started waving it about. Nor does it appear as if it were punched out of a cookie-cutter mould. Likewise, it doesnt look like a carbon copy of your great-great-great grandfathers car either, complete with pedestrian-spearing hood ornament.

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