Audi A8 Archives - The Weekly Driver

2013 best sedans: Ford Fiesta to Audi A8

Sedans are arguably the most competitive car segment, and the uniqueness of the Edmunds.com list for 2013 is that Toyota, which manufacturers the Camry and Corolla, both perennially among the top-10 selling cars in the United States, is not on the recommended list in any sedan price category. None of the members of the Toyota Prius family of hybrid cars are on recommended sedan list, either, although Toyota products are listed in other recommended categories. Here’s the top-three in eight price categories for Edmunds.com, the online automotive information resource guide headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Under $15K Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent Under $18K Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus Under $25K Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Ultima Under

2014 Audi R8: First makeover means lighter, faster, more powerful supercar

The 2014 Audi R8, a refreshed edition for the first time since the mid-engine, two-seat sports car was introduced in 2006, will feature more horsepower and a new, seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic automatic transmission when it debuts next spring in Canada. Optional on R8 V8 and standard on the R8 V10 Coupe and Spyder, the S tronic replaces the agricultural R tronic autobox that originated from the R8’s sister model, the Lamborghini Gallardo. The new Audi RB will also feature new lighter carbon fiber body components, lighter bucket seats and a streamlined interior. New LED headlights and tail lights will now be standard on the eight- and 10-cylinder Coupe and Spyder cloth-top convertible models. Matched with a 4.2-liter eight cylinder

Luxury cars

Audi A8, 2011 review

The 2011 Audi A8 all-wheel-drive sedan has imposing styling, a fabulous interior and high-tech features that can be easily utilized if you spend some time studying them. This fourth-generation A8 — Audi’s flagship car — has a revised front end but looks basically unchanged. It continues to have the automaker’s nearly all-aluminum body/chassis structure that few Americans ever understood or fully appreciated. It makes this four-door very rigid and lighter than most rivals. The A8 is still a big guy at approximately 4,400 pounds, due partly to its all-wheel-drive hardware, and it has a longer wheelbase and overall length. It’s also wider. The new A8 4.2 comes in standard ($78,050) or extended-wheelbase ($84,000) forms and is powered by a sophisticated

Auto Shows-Museums, Luxury cars, Sports Cars

Audi debuts super sports car, 2010 R8

New for 2010, a refined 5.2 FSI V10 engine joins the R8 lineup. With menacing, unmistakable styling and the unshakable performance of quattro all-wheel drive, the R8 represents the very edge of what is technically possible in a sports car today. The 2010 Audi R8 is unique in the Audi portfolio and is hand-assembled at a maximum of 20 cars per day. A wide, low stance is derived directly from the Audi motorsports program and helps to provide the R8 with its world-class handling. The R8 was inspired not only by victorious Audi Le Mans race cars, it shared the same design team. Two large bladed air inlets and aggressively slanted headlamps join the signature Audi single-frame grille, while the

Luxury cars, Sedans

Audi A8 W12, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review (Video)

The 2008 Audi A8 W12 is the German manufacturer’s powerful top-of-the-line sedan. It’s nearly a small apartment considering its spaciousness, powerful sound system, rear-seat refrigerator and solar sunroof. Videographer Bruce Aldrich and I take a look and the luxurious Audi. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The

Luxury cars, Sedans, Specialty cars

Audi A8, W12 Quattro, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Friends who know and fawn over cars love the 2008 Audi A8, W12 quattro. Friends who own cars but view them simply as necessary transportation love the car. Even automobile cynics, for whom cars are among society’s biggest concerns, love it. And there are many reasons for the adulation. As a luxury car, the Audi A8 W12 has a 6.0-liter, 12-cylinder, 450-horsepower engine that operates with a six-speed automatic transmission and Audi’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It features 20-inch alloy wheels and adaptive cruise control and a host of electronic features and high-tech equipment — 16-way power front seats to a 6-disc CD changer and DVD (it’s in the glove box) and an extraordinary Bang & Olufasen sound system

Luxury cars

Audi A8, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

If the latter is a priority, then my weekly test drive was as good as it gets. A redesign for 2004, the Audi A8 includes a 2.5-inch longer wheelbase, an inch more leg room and an increase of 20 horsepower to 330 horsepower. The engine remains the same, 4.2 liters with five valves per cylinder. A 6-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift gate replaces a 5-speed automatic. Other changes include optional 18 or 19 inch wheels instead of standard 17-inch wheels from the previous generation, and optional heated front and rear seats and steering wheel. Having not driven an Audi Quattro in its previous edition, I couldn’t make any comparisons. Nonetheless, it was hard not to be impressed with