A8/S8 New Audi A8 (D4) - Official Pics & Info

[Osnabrueck]

Ok, you can say lots of things about this car but a poor interior? The cabin looks like a trillion bucks - albeit an uninspired trillion bucks.

NarutoRamen - Good point with the 'chops. The D4's bathtub profile creates greenhouse-to-wheel proportion problems that might be even worse than the E65 and E60 designs. We'd best see see class-leading headroom and cabin space here or it's all for naught.

I can't believe what a let-down this car is. The D3 had a tight serenity to it, with restrained beauty that revealed itself to the distinguished onlooker. The D4 is like... "Loud Blandness."

I hope our IRL gut-checks will tell a different story but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[ghusheshe]

The more things change the more they stay the same. Audi has been playing the safe card for far too long now, it really is boring now. Only die hard Audi fans would love this. Too predictable...

 

[Osnabrueck]

Love the "Open Letter." For all of Audi's bluster about being the design brand of the German 3, this A8 is inexcusably derivative,

Dear Audi,

Your Audi A8 world premiere was fantastic, and I am glad we got to see Lucy Liu as its been a while since she has been in anything new. Frankly speaking that was the highlight of the evening.

For all your talk of art, design and progress you provided us with the pinnacle of mediocre artistic design. The new A8 is uninspiring and devoid of aspiration, although I must say the interior is sublime and I must give credit where credit is due.

The exterior on the other hand is a nice update, one that we all saw when your marketing department leaked pictures over a year ago. If the purpose of that leak was to get some feedback into the direction you were taking.....you must have not been listening, because you are way off the mark. (We were all praying it was a bad photoshop.)

We as car fans in general feel greatly let down, just when Audi was becoming defensible as a luxury brand you bring us crashing down to the ground. You gave us hope with the original TT, you gave yourself credibility with the A5/S5 and you went stratospheric with the R8.

Now you have crashed and burned with the new A8. This is not the progress you speak of ....this is stalling creative innovation. I highly recommend you should now look at youth for your next batch of designs, as obviously the 58 year old who designed this has clearly run out of ideas. Now the supposed genius behind the design of the new A8 may yet still grow on us, but I highly doubt it.

Regards

A neutral car fan.

 

[NarutoRamen]

NarutoRamen - Good point with the 'chops. The D4's bathtub profile creates greenhouse-to-wheel proportion problems that might be even worse than the E65 and E60 designs. We'd best see see class-leading headroom and cabin space here or it's all for naught.

I can't believe what a let-down this car is. The D3 had a tight serenity to it, with restrained beauty that revealed itself to the distinguished onlooker. The D4 is like... "Loud Blandness."

I hope our IRL gut-checks will tell a different story but I'm not holding my breath.

Yep...the D3 has the sleeker greenhouse, which is why I wanted to see what this would look like. I don't want to sound like I'm praising my own chop, but the sleeker windshield looks much better.

And I'm with you on this. I do like the car, and love the interior...but the exterior leads more to be desired. It's not bad by any means, but it just hasn't progressed. The new 7er is tons better than the previous one, and the S-class is still the boss, which has solidified it's lead (IMO) with the Facelift. This all new model looks more like it's trying to go up against the previous iterations of its rivals.

What's worse is looking at the sketches of the car. They are far more sleeker and bring something new and aggressive. This? Doesn't do anything. Nice car, but isn't great at anything besides interior.

 

[Gene]

Wow, the reponse to the new A8 on this forum has been so negative. It's definitely not that bad! Yes, it's disappointing from a design standpoint because its a 'been there done that' design. Still, its a handsome car that will hold its own against the 7 and the S, and will continue to have its share of buyers. Of course if I had the money (which I don't) and was in the market (which I'm not), I wouldn't buy it. But the mere fact that I'm in neither of the above two categories, could be a sign that Audi did their homework on this car, and it will be an attractive buy for people that do fit both categories.

What I still don't understand is how Audi concept cars can be so wild, yet their production models are anything but? I always figured a concept car was to showcase technology and future design direction. Audi seems to buck the trend when it comes to concept cars.

 

[NarutoRamen]

Wow, the reponse to the new A8 on this forum has been so negative. It's definitely not that bad! Yes, it's disappointing from a design standpoint because its a 'been there done that' design. Still, its a handsome car that will hold its own against the 7 and the S, and will continue to have its share of buyers. Of course if I had the money (which I don't) and was in the market (which I'm not), I wouldn't buy it. But the mere fact that I'm in neither of the above two categories, could be a sign that Audi did their homework on this car, and it will be an attractive buy for people that do fit both categories.

I agree with you. It's a really nice car. But the problem is, by them not pushing the boundaries of design, it just seems like they are only trying to retain customers rather than poach new ones. Design parity is fine, but if I'm going to spend close to $100K, the last thing I want is for my car to look like its MUCH cheaper sibling. I mean, the rear lights look EXACTLY the same as the freakin A4. WTH?

 

[fortuner]

WOW i am really let down by the exterior really i will just say its bad that front is pathetic and is it me or do some off you think the side and rear is almost volvoish in design terms..I thaught this car would be atleast sleek and beatifull but i am really dissapointed and i really do like audis especially the previos car..

The interior those seats are just brilliant i love those seats i also like some parts off the dash but overall it looks a bit overdone i prefer the S class type clean interior for this class of vhehicles anyway overall very dissapointed as for the interior i like it but could have been better the exterior is just poor...

 

[Cashmere]

I dont think the D4 is ugly - far from it actually, just that it looks like an elongated A4.

IMO, best interior in its class in terms of design. Definitely out does the F01 & and the S.

Can someone post the leaked pics from a year back? just wanted to see how much they changed from that leak.

 

[Cashmere]

On another note, that gear lever looks odd, kinda reminds me of the Hummer shifter

 

[JadeVetti]

Now that's an interior to be proud of (look at the detail in the wood trim!).

The exterior?.....Eh, not so much.

No Christmas for this Audi, I see--

 

[NarutoRamen]

I dont think the D4 is ugly - far from it actually, just that it looks like an elongated A4.

Good note...I had a fbook discussion with one of my buddies who is a automotive design grad...the way he put it? Audi tried to make the A8 a matured A4. And I pretty much say they succeeded, but the problem is, thats not the direction they should've been going in.

 

[Centurion]

 

[Kowalski]

Why does it look like a big A4?

 

[Potential]

Interior is splendid. Proberly the first time that BMW and AUDI have much better designed interior in this big boy class, emphasis on the design please MB fanboys...

 

[batosai]

The "Extended Aluminium" option is amazing, the black plastic buttons are replaced by brushed aluminium ones !!

And I notice several different colors for the ambient lighting. Is the light color changable ?

 

[coolraoul]

Yeah, the light color is surely changeable (it is for the S-Class). Extended alu, well the S-Class has aluminium buttons as standard...

The interior does looks expensive and very well finished, but I hate that screen, it is so poorly integrated sticking out like that... Looks like one of those horrid Alpine or Pioneer aftermarket screens. Incredible.

For the exterior... D3 gone fat. This is all I have to say: D3 gone fat.

Absolutely disappointed. I hope the S8 will save the car a bit, but seeing the giant front overhang, ugly lights, fatty greenhouse, heavy rear, well...

Doesn't looks bad, doesn't look good either. Blandness itself.

 

[jack]

why are they even releasing this sketches to the public...they really hurt...the car could have been so exciting

audi, listen to your designers!

 

[Mr Robert]

And I notice several different colors for the ambient lighting. Is the light color changable ?

Just like on the MINI!

The "Extended Aluminium" option is amazing, the black plastic buttons are replaced by brushed aluminium ones !!

Not at all like on the MINI

 

[bmwownage]

The interior is not bad, but it just begs me to think VW, the Phaeton. It seems they can't think of a way to apply their traditional Audi interior to the top model. And pop-up screens, I don't think it should be tolerated in the C class, and this is some flagship model and still there is a pop up screen.
The exterior i think the problem is lack of tradition/history. MB is fine, just make the S look good and it will sell; BMW it think obviously this time want to exagerrate the kidney grille and have it oversized, making it special; but Audi has none, their grille is less than 10 years old and they are still evolving it. Adding that tiny 2cm kink on the top edges to make it hexagonal...what the hell? The LED strip in the headlight is rather ridiculous. I would've thought the proportions would be great after seeing the A4, but it seems they just blown up the A4, put new lights on, add some edges without fixing any details. It's like part of the car is smooth but the next part suggests otherwise. I have thought whether they perhaps only "luckily" hit the sweet spot with the A4, and it seems so after seeing this car.

And i just realised those wanna-be flame surface and that wanna-be shoulder line that extends perhaps stupidly to the headlights...

 

[DaSilva]

I will always remember the old one as the BEST looking sleek design
car in the entire world! D3 is THE sleekest king in the world!

I will look at the new A8 as a total new automobile.
Yes it has the same name but so ?
This A8 is a different car...

and I am going to LOVE IT!