Test drive Audi A8 D3 2003 - 2005 Sedan
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Six liters and twelve cylinders are not so much the characteristics of the car as the owner of the Audi A8 L 6.0 Quattro. Since last fall, a very good car has been available to motorists with income above average - the Audi A8 L 4.2 Quattro. V-shaped eight with a capacity of 335 hp It accelerates the eight to 100 km/h in just 6.4 seconds. Maximum speed - of course, 250 km/h. Plus a luxurious rear interior stretched over the length of one and a half palms. The remarkable car was not enough for the rest of the car - a motor with twelve cylinders and a six -liner working volume.
Needless to say, the latest characteristics are more related to ideology than technology. The owner of the Audi A8 L will hardly participate in his car in Dreg-Ricing competitions. And the savings of 1.2 seconds at the start of up to hundreds do not need to twitch from the traffic light. Six liters spilled in twelve glasses are a certain kind of standard, a pass, if you like, a platinum card that determines the status of its owner. And the fact that the technical capabilities of the car are unlikely to be fully involved is not so important. After all, one of the measure of wealth is the breadth of opportunities, for the demonstration of which it is not at all necessary to publicly lower the amount comparable to the annual budget of a district center in the casino. 
USERNAME. In the correctness of such an imperative, Russian journalists invited to the presentation of the new flagship Audi were also given the opportunity to make sure. Moskva on this day covered a terrible snowfall. And therefore, having arrived in Vienna late, we, of course, were late on the plane to Salzburg. In principle, 260 km could also be driven by bus, but the Audi AG concern considered it necessary to capture a business jet. Rather, two-Russia reached the third place in the world in terms of the number of purchased Audi A8, and therefore our press-delegation was twice as representative than, for example, the American one. Winged limousines flew to Salzburg in less than half an hour. The price of this flight was comparable to the price of Audi A6 1.8T Quattro in good configuration. In general, the topic of aviation was close to the organizers of the event. The place for a static presentation was chosen by the Red Bull glass capsule at the Salzburg airport, where new cars stood not only surrounded by ancestors - Horch limousines and racing Auto Union. Nearby, samples of small aircraft of various times sparkled with silver fuselages.
Compared to the 4.2-liter version, the limousine also reached noticeably. If the twelve -cylinder version of the previous eight was externally distinguished by silver chips on the radiator grille, then now the accents decided to place more radically. The entire grill is now enclosed in a chrome trapezoid. By the way, this geometric figure was chosen by a peculiar symbol of the model - we will find a similar trapezoid on a plastic covering the eirbeg inside the steering wheel, the tip of the exhaust pipes are also trapezoid ... When I noticed that the trapezoid has long been associated with the brand of Honda, a representative of the design group With indignation, he led me to a silver cigar-it turns out that Monocoks, on which Tazio Nuvolari chased in the Grand Prix, the radiator grille was just such a form. 
ENTER PASSWORD. Of the other exterior innovations, of course, it is necessary to note the new headlight. Audi A8 L 6.0 Quattro became the first car in the world where adaptive headlights are combined with LED dimensions. Stars, each of which consists of five bright LEDs, also perform a design function - you can’t confuse a six -liter eight with any other car at dusk. The main difference between the car is of course under the hood. When I asked if it was the same W12, which I had already encountered three years ago on the previous long eight and two years ago on the VW Phaeton, it was the turn to be indignant at a specialist who was engaged in the production and adaptation of the motor. Compared to the predecessor, the current W12 added an extra 30 hp. And 20 Nm of the maximum torque! Of course, it could not be otherwise, it was necessary to engage in a whole design bureau for three years. However, reconfigurations did not affect the design of the motor too much, this masterpiece can hardly be significantly modified.
Another topic, which has been developing Audi for several years, is aluminum. The body and chassis Audi A8 L 6.0 Quattro are made of this light metal, the engine block is made of aluminum and magnesium alloy. As a result, the FE CAR of the FA C with an elongated base and a 12-cylinder engine weighs only 1995 kg, and one horse force takes 4.4 kg of mass-a indicator similar to the characteristics of serious sports cars. Connection speed. Exactly the same feelings were in a business jet before he soared into the sky! The acceleration of the six -liter eight is powerful, but surprisingly even. It is not without reason that such an indicator as acceleration to 80 km/h is made into the branded technical characteristics. By the way, it is only 3.8 seconds. 95 percent of the maximum torque are available in the interval of 2300-5300 rpm, so the power of power under the pedal is enough at any speed. This is especially noticeable when overtaking at a speed of 80-90 km/h. You press the pedal, and the engine responds instantly - not a jerk, but an amazingly comfortable set of revolutions and smooth acceleration. It is precisely because of the lack of these jerks, if you do not look at the speedometer, that you can’t even believe that after literally a few seconds the car is already rushing 140--150 km/h.
The six -speed Tiptronic with switching petals on the steering column - the same as on the Audi R8 that won in Le Mane - allows you to experiment whether it is better to switch the machine gun. It did not always work out. For a serious jerk, for example, you need to hit the petal three times to switch from the sixth gear to the third. In Sport mode, the programs increase with a noticeable delay, and the sixth is not involved at all. And if in the usual mode, the speed falls and the car noticeably slows down the engine under the discharge of gas, then even with the tachometer arrow, the tachometer shooter sticks to the mark of 4000 rpm, so that, if necessary, return to the dynamic driving manner. I must say that with this very dynamic driving, the rear passenger feels not so much. For even the highest degree of comfort and four levels of suspension settings are not able to cancel the laws of physics. Yes, the Audi A8 L does not bow in corners; Yes, accelerations and braking are surprisingly smooth, but if the driver squeezes out the maximum of their capabilities from the engine and the suspension, and you
you’re far from going on an empty stomach, you need to either train the vestibular apparatus, or drive such a driver. You can, of course, be distracted. True, the designers did not calculate the angle of its throwing back in the mirror that leans back from the ceiling - only the crown is visible. Or see the TV, although the premises of the monitors in the head restraints of the front seats, in my opinion, are not the best move: they cannot be turned, so they glitter, in addition, on traffic lights all the neighbors are aware of what exactly you are watching. There is also a button from behind, which allows you to move away the front passenger chair, although there is already enough space to sit on your leg. Well, of course, massage. Prior to this incident, all the representatives of the representative class with an elongated base struck me by the fact that the massage rollers and gel pillows rode and rolled exclusively in the front chairs, where, by definition, there should be a hired driver and other maintenance staff. 
ACCOUNT BALANCE. The Russian dealers Audi A8 L 6.0 Quattro will appear in late March - early April, but you can sign up now. When purchasing a car on order, delivery times should not exceed two to three months. It is curious that the dollar limousine price is determined up to a penny - the basic equipment will cost $ 163,642. Probably because buyers of such machines can consider money better than others. Without turbine and screws
Following A8 L, an eight will receive an eight in a short body familiar to us. Compared to the long -term version, this athlete is not only shorter than 130 mm and 35 kg easier, the box has a different number of the main gear, which allows a larger range
use the capabilities of a 450-horsepower engine. Up to hundreds of Audi A8 6.0 Quattro starts in 5.1 seconds, after 16.9 seconds, the speedometer arrow will roll up 200 km/h, and it will take less than half a minute to accelerate to the maximum 250 km/h. Visually, from the passenger version, the car, in addition to the dimensions, distinguishes the absence of bar's excesses in the rear of the cabin, as well as 19-inch wheels. It will be possible to calculate the car by ear: for the Audi A8 6.0 Quattro, a confusing exhaust system is provided in a sporting, which emits a powerful low roar even at high engine speeds. The same system has the same system, but it more likely to frighten passers-by and neighbors in the transport stream with a blouse and a siren-chryanyk. In Russia, the short -counterless eight W12 should appear by the summer of this year. The price of the car has not yet been determined. Text Dmitry Gronsky, photo of the author and Audi AG
Audi A8 L 6.0 Quattro Gasoline engine, w12
Working volume (cubic cub) 5998
Power (L.S. at rpm) 450 at 6200
Moment (Nm at rpm) 5800 at 4000-4700
The permanent drive is complete
Gearbox 6-speed Tiptronic
Length/width/height (mm) 5192/1894/1455
Wheel base (mm) 3074
Clearance (mm) 95-145
Equipped mass (kg) 1995
Maximum speed (km/h) 250
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 5.2
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 20.5/9.9
The price in Moscow is $ 163 thousand.
Source: "Autopilot"
