All Audi A8 reviews

"Quattro four-wheel drive offers all sorts of foul weather grip advantages that are quite beyond the Audi's rivals"

There aren't too many cars that force a fundamental reappraisal of a marque's core values but the Audi A8 W12 is most definitely one of them. Prior to this car's appearance, Audi could best be described as a marque that offered high quality, high technology and advanced engineering wrapped up in stylish yet low-key packaging. Yes, there are head-turning models such as the ...

"The Audi A8 won't be everyone's cup of tea. Some won't 'get' it. For those blessed with a modicum of taste, that's good news"

Subtlety isn't generally a quality you'll find a great deal of when it comes to luxury cars. Many buyers want to make a big statement, create an impact, let everybody know they've arrived. You know the types. They're the sort who have ostentatious 'Mr President'-style canopies supported by Doric columns at the head of their drives and will think nothing of sport...

"One danger for Audi is that the A8 3.0 TDI suddenly makes the 3.0-litre and 3.7-litre petrol models look utterly superfluous"

Two hundred and thrirty-two horsepower doesn't sound all that impressive when tasked with hauling something the size of an Audi A8 around. Let's face it, some hot hatches pack more power than this. There are, however, horses and horses. Lead this horse to water and it'll start drinking from a black pump. This sort of power from a diesel engine spells monster tor...

"This 3.2-litre engine is so good, it brings into question the wisdom of buying a plusher Audi A8"

The Audi A8 3.2 FSI could well put a dent in the Ingolstadt company's carefully cultivated image of cerebral savvy. Not because it's in any way deficient, but in quite the opposite regard. So good is this direct injection petrol engine that it forces one to ponder the wisdom of forking out more for a plusher and bigger-engined A8. In producing an excellent entry-level car, Audi may well h...

"This car isn't just fast for a diesel. It's fast, period"

I trust Audi won't take too much exception at a mention of the opposition but the first properly quick car I ever drove was a 1991 BMW M5. I recall the occasion clearly. It was a friend's car and he needed his brake pads replaced. Claiming to be able to do this job for him, I collected the car from his house and proceeded to spend all day driving it faster than a car with barely functioning brakes properly ought to go. 315bhp se...

The Audi A8 had already established a formidable reputation as a technologically advanced, effortlessly cool executive saloon by dint of the first generation car. With the major manufacturers capable of throwing vast budgets at the development of these flagship models, the first generation A8's nine year existence seems remarkable. After 2000, the A8 was starting to look and feel a little behind the curve, and Audi were making great efforts to put it back at the forefront of the luxury class....

The Audi A8 has proved to be a landmark car ' in more ways than one. For a start, it was the first of a new generation of 'A' models when it was launched in July 1994, proof at last that Audi really could build a decent large luxury saloon to compete with BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes. More importantly perhaps it was the world's first aluminium-bodied production car with a revolutionary light but strong construction. There aren't many around on the used market, but those that are available represe...