A8/S8 [Spyshots] 2018 Audi A8 Spy Pics & Info

[tristatez28lt1]

New render by Autobild

 

[Deleted member 1071]

In the current issue of Germanys' Auto Motor und Sport magazine, Audis' director of research and developement, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, alludes to the brands' upcoming design paradigm. He mentions the recognition of criticism regarding the exagerated similarity between several of the brands model lines. While stating that a justification of such stems from the companys' desire to enhance brand recognition in markets in which Audi is not yet as proliferate as its' competitors, he makes the admission that this is an issue that must (and will) be addressed. The D5 A8/S8 will be the product line that introduces the new design language. Dr. Hackenberg mentions that the car must meet the objective of fusing sporting athleticism and luxury, painstaking attention being directed towards the standards of fit, finish and materials. He goes on to say that an A8/S8 must exude elegant dynamism while at the same time avoid being "annoyingly contrived".

With this in mind, I would venture to speculate that the Larson illustration above is but a rather vague indication of what is to be expect. In terms of proportions relatively accurate perhaps. The rendering reminds me of a photograph that I saw several years ago. It was taken inside an Audi design studio-and in the backround was what appeared to be a 1/5th (?) clay and foil model of a suggested future A6 or A8 sized sedan. I wish I could find that photograph to illustrate the point.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

This rendering of a proposed C8 series A6 Shooting Brake may be a more accurate indication of Audis' upcoming new design paradigm. The illustration appeared in Autozeitung several months ago.

 

[JHF]

Audi has started the first public road trials of the chassis of its next-generation A8, a car we’re expecting to be launched for the 2018 model year. Featured here is a test mule based on the recently-updated 2015 A8, but underneath lie the mechanicals of the new Audi flagship sedan.

Those mechanicals should be Audi’s new MLB Evo platform, an evolution of the MLB platform found in the current A8 and several other Volkswagen Group models. The MLB Evo was first showcased in 2013 in Audi’s Sport quattro concept, and makes its production debut later this year in the 2016 Q7.

There have been reports that Audi may adopt the sportier MSB platform being developed by Porsche for its next-generation 2017 Panamera, but the fact that this test mule is based on the current A8 suggests otherwise.

It’s hard to gather any new info from these spy shots, but according to our photographer the intakes at the front are modified and the suspension components seen from the rear are different to those on the current A8. Since the length and track of the vehicle remains unmodified, we can assume the new A8 will have the same footprint as the current model. It's still early days, however, so much can change before the car's arrival.

Some things we do know is that the new A8 will benefit from a lighter curb weight: one of the key areas of focus in developing the MLB Evo has been weight reduction. Another key area has been alternative powertrains.

The engine lineup should be similar to the current A8’s offerings, meaning V-6 and V-8 units. A W-12 is also likely to be offered once more, and we should see a plug-in hybrid option and possibly even an all-electric option. Overseas markets should also receive a four-cylinder option.

Finally, we can expect advanced infotainment features as well as new autonomous driving technology.

Look for the new A8 to be revealed in late 2016 or early 2017. A sporty S8 and long-wheelbase A8 L should also be introduced around then.


http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1033503_2018-audi-a8-spy-shots

 

[JHF]

Audi A8 (2016): everything you need to know about ‘D5’


The new 2016 Audi A8 is the first Audi masterminded from bottom to top by the group’s tech chief Ulrich Hackenberg and his new design chief Mark Lichte. The declared goal of both men is to create a stand-out luxury saloon which beats the competition in terms of presence and ability.

Six proposals made it to the finals: two by Fabrizio Giugiaro (who since left ItalDesign together with Alberto Fumagalli), one by Wolfgang Egger (now the leader at Ital), one by Stefan Sielaff (still head of the VW group advanced design studio in Potsdam) and one by inhouse design chief Mark Lichte and his talented sidekick Philipp Roemers.

Sielaff’s car received an honorable mention in the corridors of power at Ingolstadt, but predictably the board put Mark Lichte in charge of the new 2016 Audi A8, codenamed D5. Not to be confused with a woofling, Volvo in-house diesel engine of yore…

Audi A8 (2016): what to expect from Project D5
Although we have yet to see the final version of the new A8, those who regularly attend product strategy committee meetings claim that the new creative director has blended British elegance with Italian sportiness and German solidity. The next A8 will allegedly be a much more progressive car with a smaller singleframe grille, a nicely tapered rear end, a more coupe-like greenhouse and sculptured, almost architectural proportions.

The current A8 looks more like a bloated A6 with jewel headlamps than like a standalone luxury sedan. D5 will not be quite as radical as it could have been, since it sits on Audi’s own PL65 platform instead of the front-mid-engined MSB components set developed by Porsche.

Why the Audi A8 is on a bespoke platform
The fact that PL65 and D5 coexist is the result of managerial blunder, oversight, the not-invented-here syndrome, lack of budget control and the persistence of one man, Audi’s R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg. When he arrived in Ingolstadt, MSB looked like the winning formula that would have saved the group about €3 billion in direct and indirect expenditure.

But then the team from Ingolstadt insisted going it alone, and after several heated debates they received the thumbs-up in a meeting immediately after the 2014 Geneva motor show. Yes, a union with Porsche would have made more sense. No, it was in the end too late and too expensive to make the required adjustments.

To beef up the volume and to spread cost over three different models, PL65 will also underpin the VW Phaeton Mk2 and the stillborn A9 Coupe is suddenly back, as a sleek and sporty four-door alternative to the very large and quite ostentatious Q8 crossover.

Aluminium construction and engine details: all about the 2016 Audi A8
Project D5 is going to break new ground in more ways than one. It adds more modular construction to the Audi spaceframe (ASF), it introduces fresh content (three levels of autonomous driving, advanced infotainment), it refocuses on driving dynamics (on-demand torque vectoring, re-engineered air suspension, next-generation Drive Select), and it reinvents MMI. The multi-media control system is due to feature a large TFT display, more intuitive ergonomics, voice and gesture control.

Low-friction lightweight quattro all-wheel drive and the eight-speed automatic are standard on all new Audi A8 models. As far hybrids go, the new A8 abandons the breathless four-cylinder in favour of a plug-in application featuring the 326bhp 3.0-litre TFSI V6. Other petrol engines include:

Audi A8 4.0-litre V8 TFSI 460bhp
Audi A8 6.3-litre W12 565bhp.

Diesels in the new 2016 Audi A8 are:

Audi A8 3.0-litre V6 TDI 272bhp
Audi A8 4.0-litre V8 TDI 408bhp
Audi A8 5.0-litre V10 TDI 500bhp

It certainly helps when the chairman of the supervisory board is a dedicated engineer on a mission...

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Secret...016-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-D5/

 

[Deleted member 1071]

I am curious to see how VAG positions the upcoming D5 Audi A8/S8 and the VW Phaeton series II (same MLBevo underpinnings). There appears to be a very high degree of enthusiasm with regard to the D5 Audi-in terms of its' aesthetic virtues as well as its' technical content. In contrast, very little is being disclosed about the new Phaeton. Several months ago, I recall an article stating that the Phaeton II would be far more "extroverted" than its' predecessor. A combination of sorts of the original D1 VW large luxury car concept of 1999 and the current Jaguar XJ. Whatever that may mean. And yet, the chatter pertaining to to the D5 A8/S8 appears to indicate a "coupe-like, sleek sedan with "British" as well as "Italian" design elements. Whatever that may mean.

I continue to question the wisdom (outside of the typical "politicization" often witnessed in corporate product conferences) of Audi not utilizing the MSB versus the MLBevo. The MLBevo is fine for the Phaeton II as it could have served as a "link" between the Audi A6 and an MSB A8/S8...Panamera II...etc.

 

[SuperPowerGT]

WOW!

 

[emet]

I have read somewhere (sometime ago) that the new Phaeton is going downmarket, and it's going to be smaller (more like the A6 than the A8) than the current one, but you know.... You can't believe everything you read on the internet

 

[JLBM]

What a crock of sh!t. The new A8 design will be like every boring generation before it. Bloated A4.

 

[KiwiRob]

What a crock of sh!t. The new A8 design will be like every boring generation before it. Bloated A4.

Which is no different than S Class, bloated C Class, and 7er, bloated 3er. If you don't want something that looks like something smaller and cheaper your only option in this class are Jaguar XJ and Maserati Quattroporte.

 

[klier]

Which is no different than S Class, bloated C Class, and 7er, bloated 3er. If you don't want something that looks like something smaller and cheaper your only option in this class are Jaguar XJ and Maserati Quattroporte.

LOL, please

 

[JLBM]

Which is no different than S Class, bloated C Class, and 7er, bloated 3er. If you don't want something that looks like something smaller and cheaper your only option in this class are Jaguar XJ and Maserati Quattroporte.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW's lineup is unique, especially in the E-Class/5 Series mainstream. The C-Class has always been a "baby S" and it's a good strategy. But the C comes after the S.

Audi's flagship is apparently inspired by the preceding A4. They all look the same and they have run out of passion and ideas. Too many products at VW, and Porsche is now their blue-eyed boy.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Signals pertaining to Audis' "new" styling paradigm are inconsistent. I recall that following the introduction of the Audi A3 4 door sedan, it was stated that this very car would be the last mainstream Audi model that would feature its' current corporate design themes. The upcoming A4 has been said to be the car that will usher Audis' "new look". I wonder what Audis' definition is of "new look". Renders are more often than not woefully inaccurate. But much seems to indicate a very evolutionary approach on the A4. As Audi, unlike BMW and M-B, are extremely secretive with regard to pre-production testing-we will probably not really know exactly which route Audi design has taken until the cars are actually presented in the first official press photographs. More recently, statements have been made that it is the A8 that will initiate the companys' new design themes. The upcoming cars may be revelations. Or they may be frustratingly predictable evolutions of current products. I love Audis' precise and minimalistic design-but I reckon that it is time for them to embark on a path that is a bit more "adventurous".

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

I think Audi needs a bit of a Bangle-like bravado with their design.

While the designs are not ugly, they feel pretty homogenous. There are only 3 current models (TT, R8, A/S/RS7).

 

[EKaru]

I think Audi needs a bit of a Bangle-like bravado with their design.

While the designs are not ugly, they feel pretty homogenous. There are only 3 current models (TT, R8, A/S/RS7).

Though I agree about the homogeneity of Audi's designs, I respectfully disagree with your first statement as they look great as is imho.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Though I agree about the homogeneity of Audi's designs, I respectfully disagree with your first statement as they look great as is imho.

While I do like the D4 A8, especially in S8 guise, I prefer the D3 gen. But that's besides the point...The D4 is too much like the A4. Yeah, there are little design flourishes here and there that distinguish it from its lesser kin, but, IMO, not enough.

Also, in my previous post, I must have had a brain fart as I didn't complete my thought...There are only 3 current models (TT, R8, A/S/RS7) are unique with their own identity yet maintains some sort of familial sense within the line-up. I should also include the A1 in that list as well.

Again, it's hard to find current Audis offensive or ugly, but for the most part they are not terribly polarizing. I liken it to the BMWs of the 1990's (E36, E39 and E38) and the whole "one sausage, different length" philosophy. I just think they need a little adventure in their design language and better model identity.

 

[KiwiRob]

I think Audi needs a bit of a Bangle-like bravado with their design.

While the designs are not ugly, they feel pretty homogenous. There are only 3 current models (TT, R8, A/S/RS7).

That only worked at BMW for one generation then they went back to playing it safe.

 

[SCOTT27]

The VAG solution to everything is to throw lots of money in order to gain a lead and obtain the headline.
Whereas Bangle type revolutionary design stage can work for some it can be a disaster for others.
I think BMWs worked because at that point everything became boring and familiar.

The problem BMW and VAG have when it comes to interior finish is that they have Bentley and Rolls-Royce where everything has to be a class higher , so their standard car cannot directly compete or imitate as they have these luxury brands. Mercedes does not have such an issue as their S-Klasse and forthcoming Maybachs are already known so there is nothing to directly compete with nor progress with.

The last time I heard about the Phaeton was it was to be a mini-Bentley whether they are still on that mindset or its chief supporter has been reigned in remains to be seen. But in the luxury car market you should never cross-pollinate your brands to the extent one is far more superior than the one you are asking twice or three times the amount of.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

As more photographs of D5 mules are appearing, I find myself somewhat disappointed. I would have thought that the new MLBevo configuration would have afforded VAG engineers the possibility of moving the front axle forward and thus diminishing overhang. VAGs' MQB matrix allows it-and this has done wonders regarding the proportions of the new Passat.

These are early prototypes. Maybe we will see something a bit more pleasing down the road.

 

[Busty]

You guys already know this A8 render? (Pretty much in line with what I heard from some insiders, but not as 'new' as it's communicated through all those semi-officials....)