Audi has launched the top version of the new Audi A8 L. The A8 L W12 quattro is powered by a 6.3 FSI petrol engine which produces 500 hp of power and 625 Nm at 3,250 rpm. The twelve cylinder motor helps to accelerate the flagship Audi from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.7 seconds and to a an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. The new Audi A8 L W12 is priced at Rs. 1.26 crores (ex showroom, Maharashtra). The Audi A8 L W12 quattro features standard LED headlight units with all lighting functions performed by LEDs. The A8 L has a body built from aluminum using the Audi Space Frame (ASF) principle and therefore weighs about 40% less than a comparable steel body.
The engine is known as the W12 because of its unusual layout. It has four rows of three cylinders with a 15-degree included angle between the two offset rows of cylinders in each broad cylinder block. The V angle between the two blocks is 72 degrees. This layout makes the W12 engine exceptionally compact: only just over 50 centimeters long and therefore distinctly shorter than a V8. The W12, in its latest form with a displacement of 6,299 cc, is an undersquare design and the engine weighs 247 kilograms only.
The long-wheelbase Audi A8 features reclining seat behind the front passenger’s seat with massage functions and a foot rest on a power-adjustable support at the base of the front passenger seat back. Heating, ventilation and the luxury head restraint are integral features. A folding table, additional wood and leather trim, a refrigerator and a Rear Seat Entertainment system with two 10.2-inch screens.
The full extra length of this sedan benefits rear-seat passengers. The back doors are longer, for even more convenient entry, and the space available inside can only be described as opulent. Rear passenger comfort can be enhanced even more with rear seat executive package (optional). These can be heated, ventilated and adjusted in a variety of ways. There is also a fully adjustable lumbar support. The front passenger’s seat can also be moved from the rear if extra space is needed.
The center differential, the main component in the quattro permanent all-wheel drive train, divides the torque flow from the engine in a sporty manner, with 60% to the rear axle and 40 percent to the front in regular driving conditions. But if the situation changes, up to 60 percent of the torque can be sent to the front, or 80% to the rear. The A8 L W12 quattro runs on 19-inch alloy wheels with a 15-spoke design reserved for this model, with size 255/45 tires.
“The new A8 L W12 with its supremely powerful presence and design clearly derived from the brand’s genes is a concentrated high-tech package that confirms the Audi claim to technical leadership – “Vorsprung durch Technik”. The addition of this powerful engine to the Audi A8 L range in India will further consolidate our position in the limousine segment. Having already recorded exceptional growth in 2011, I am confident that all new Audi A8 L W12 will raise the bar and set new standards for luxury and engineering performance in India,” Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India, said.
The optional MMI plus, which operates with the aid of a high-capacity hard disk, has a touch-sensitive control panel known as MMI touch. The driver inputs a telephone number simply by writing the letters or numerals on the pad with a finger. Acoustic feedback makes this possible without taking one’s eyes off the road. The night vision assistant uses a thermal imaging camera to identify persons on the road ahead. If it considers the situation to be potentially dangerous, the image of the person on the road is shown in red and a warning signal is heard.
