The Audi A8 is a four-door, full-size, luxury sedan car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, the A8 has been offered with front wheel drive or permanent four-wheel drive, with multitronic or tiptronic automatic transmissions — and in short and long wheelbase variants. Previous generations employed the Volkswagen Group D platform with the current generation using the D4 platform.
Beginning in 1997, The A8 was the first mass-market car with an aluminum chassis, marketed as the Audi Space Frame and co-developed with Alcoa.
The Audi A8 (Typ 4D) debuted in Europe in 1994, with factory production commencing June 1994, although it was not until the 1997 model year that it became available in North America. Unlike its predecessor, the Audi V8 model, which was built on an existing steel platform, the A8 debuted on the then-new Volkswagen Group D2 platform, an all aluminium monocoque, marketed as the "Audi Space Frame" (ASF), which helped to reduce weight and preserve structural rigidity. The saloon/sedan was offered in both the A8 (standard wheelbase), and the A8L extended or long-wheelbase (LWB) version. The A8L adds 5 inches (127 mm) of rear legroom. Updates to the car in 1997 included the addition of six interior airbags, making the A8 the first vehicle to be so equipped.
For 1997, the new A8 was available with either front-wheel drive (FWD), or the Torsen-based quattro permanent four-wheel drive. The FWD models are powered by a 2.8 litre V6 engine, producing 142 kilowatts (193 PS; 190 bhp), and 3.7 litre V8 engine producing 171.5 kilowatts (233 PS; 230 bhp), while the quattro received a 4.2 litre V8 producing 220 kilowatts (299 PS; 295 bhp).
The A8 is available with standard luxury amenities, including dual-zone climate control, wood and leather interior trim, 14-way power and heated seats, and an enhanced Bose audio system.
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