New Audi A8 Driven.

The top end of the prestige car game has always warranted attention, from those fortunate enough to own one or use one down to those who can only admire them at a distance or those who can read and lust about them but have no hope in hell of ever getting close to one in real life. It is precisely this set of situations which helps make news when a new S-class is launched or when the next generation 7-series gets rolling.

Popular misconception in India, and to be truthful also in some English-speaking lands, however masks what is the real picture. Sure the mighty S-class is mega in terms of techno-gadgetry and is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz range while the BMW 7-series is looked at as the one major rival in the mind to the S-class. Nothing wrong in this but the fact remains that there is a third player in this segment and it is the one which has been doing all the running and dare I say it, winning , as well in the prestige car segment in Europe. In fact, the Audi A8 has been consistently outselling its rivals from Stuttgart and Munich thanks to a clever combination of adopting high points from both its rivals and then adding its own infinite charms and craftsmanship to ensure a package which makes it desirable to be driven in and just as involving to get behind the wheel.

The new A8 is the third generation in the series which began with the version launched in 1998 with a V8 mill and driving all four wheels using Audi?s famed quattro drive. In fact, the Audi A8 broke new ground among luxury prestige cars for its all wheel drive capability and this it has held on through to this third generation A8 which saw the light of day early this year. Overall design wise there is not much to distinguish this car from its predecessor in layout and visual (or physical) proportions and in fact on certain counts it has been panned for carrying on the A4-A6 look onto the large flagship. Cue in to the rear tail lamp treatment and this line of thought gets substantiated. However the front end is something else and what was first revealed on the A7 Sportback concept has now manifested itself on the new A8. The black gloss finish coupled to that single-frame goatee-beard grille on the top line W12 engined model maybe distinctive enough but man those optional LED headlamps plus those LED daytime driving lights is pure Vorsprung durch Technik. So very Audi.

Must mention here though that the version we drove and the one which is coming to India is the A8L, the last alphabet standing for long, denoting a car with a lengthened wheelbase (130mm to be precise) which was developed by Audi after inputs from customers around Asia (including India). One of the great things about the A8 is that Audi hasn't shied away from doing the unthinkable and one clear indication of this revolves around its supercar-style all-aluminium spaceframe which is unique among cars of this category. In fact Jaguar is the other car maker which has employed aluminium for its superstructure but Audi differs from Jaguar in using the material in spaceframe configuration. Audi says that the use of this material and the technology to make it has enabled weight savings of almost 40 per cent compared to an equivalent steel-bodied structure and in this day and age of Co2 footprint, this is a major achievement.

Given that Audi offers a choice of diesel and petrol powerplants, the car rides on either 17, 18 or 19 inch wheel depending on the engine size. The suspension componentry is pretty effectively sorted out, a double wishbone set-up all around but with a multi-link configuration up front to go along while at the rear a trapezoidal links help locate and leverage the best from the set-up. Air suspension is standard fitment across the range. The A8 breaks new ground for Audi's flagship in that it now comes with electrically assisted power steering gear - nice and easy but limp and at times devoid of feel when you most want it should you be treating it like the R8. However here is the key to the car because Audi has given the A8 enough firepower to run with the best of them sports cars but when you are driving modern day tycoons, the car could be doing 200km/h plus and none of the occupants could be flustered or get hot under their collars.

The grip and the traction from the car is something else and in the ride quality and comfort department the A8 has a massive edge over its rivals. But we will get to the creature comforts a bit later for it is time to understand what is that that makes a near two tonne mass go like the blazes, and behave so very well without upsetting the well stacked back benchers who can't seem to make up their mind whether to take out the Gulfstream business jet or waft away mightily on terra firma in the plush cosseted confines of the A8L. The A8 comes with a choice of five engines: two TDIs and three FSI direct injection gasoline, all of them having been tweaked massively, not just to liberate more thrust but to make them even more efficient in the consumption stakes.

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I will however concentrate only on the two top of the line engines which I think suit this car the best and are the only ones to be ordered. The first one if the truly sensational 4.2-litre TDI V8, an engine which is truly one of the great diesel powerplants there is in the automotive world today. Smooth, ultra-refined and responsive this great engine has got a 24bhp hike to dish out 350bhp at 4000rpm and if you think this is it, you have a surprise coming your way. Audi's engine boffins have worked on hiking the common rail diesel injection system to now operate at 2000 bar and this has boosted torque (which really gets the work done) by no less than 150Nm. If that hasn't got you interested yet, the absolute torque figure of a phenomenal 800Nm is something which not many cars on the planet have at their disposal and certainly very difficult for a high prestige roller to pack in. What is amazing is that this torque is laid out thick and fast in the 1750 to 2750rpm range and coupled to the all-new 8-speed tiptronic gearbox, Audi claims a substantial drop in fuel consumption figures. Audi claims the A8L 4.2 TDI Quattro can deliver 12.98kmpl which is an improvement over its predecessor by over 18 per cent. Forget about this improvement and such, just soak in the fact that many small sub-compacts in the country are hard pressed to deliver on this scale!

If the tidal wave sort of torque I rode on in the 4.2-litre TDI was like a punch in the solar plexus, the high revving 6.3-litre W12 was the epitome of silky smooth power delivered at rocketship standards. The W12 is not just one of the greatest engines ever to power a road going automobile but also a marvel of packaging. It has four banks of three cylinders each. Two rows face each other in a mutually offset configuration at 15-degree angles respectively, and collectively form a single broad bank. Taking together both go on to form a 72-degree V-configuration making the W12 an extremely compact engine. It is less than 50cm long, much shorter than a V8 and roughly 70cm in width and height.

Using technology perfected in the heat of battle at the Le Mans 24 Hours race which Audi has won continuously for well over a decade now, this glorious engine develops 500bhp at 6200rpm and 461Nm of torque at 4750rpm. Again this engine is mated to the brilliant new 8-speed tiptronic gearbox which is a cinch to use and going up and down through the 'box delights in a drive experience that is exhilarating and melodiously aural in its delivery.

If the oomph and the thrust have got to you, wait to be spoilt because no one does interiors better than Audi. Sure Jaguar these days has taken craftsmanship in leather and wood to a new high but Audi has even more comfort and attention to detail factored in and of course the entire cabin is superbly laid out and solidly put together. The seats are great for the driver and front seat passenger but I had to be driven for a short stretch while seated at the back. This short stretch turned into a long one for I fell asleep on the last 90km run into Munich and maybe it had all to do with the rear seats which would slide low and far, electronically controlled footrests to soothe the feet and the piece de resistance was the air pockets working away at different intensities to massage your back and neck so that you come out fresh for the next shareholders' meet.

I could go on and on but overall one would need a couple of days to configure every gadget there is in the A8 and then some to truly get used to unraveling them for optimum efficiency. Heck the car has a touchpad to try and instruct the GPS or the blue tooth to call but I am afraid while it seemed to work brilliantly in Germany, in India I am afraid that I am not that ambidextrous to use my left hand to type out what I need! There, I have just saved myself splurging a fortune to buy this car because in this day and age of the iPad, Audi has gizmos galore for its pilot and occupants to make use of and the Sat Nav also incorporates Google Earth to doubly assure you that you are indeed going where you intended!

The climate control system is something else and thanks to that listening to the orchestra quality 1400w Bang & Olufsen music system is a surreal experience. The A8L overwhelms you with its power, style and engineering on one hand and its alacrity with which it darts from rest and sizzles to its electronically limited 250km/h top speed. It then tops this all with the sensuous and soothing creature comforts making you wish the journey never ends. And this modern day Maharaja mobile should be there for the Indian swish set latest by this year end. Time then to have a change of wardrobe, don't you think? S-class and 7-series seem so pass?.