Test drive Audi A8 D2 1994 - 2002 Sedan

Audi A8. The chef wants to quickly?

Audi is a brand now popular in Russia. In addition to the second -hand, the latest are in great demand and by no means the cheapest models in its class - the company confidently crowns its main rivals here.
 
Until recently, only the twelve-cylinder Mercedes-S600 remained out of competition. And then the audi began the production of high -class limousines based on an elongated A8 model with the most powerful of the current serial engines W12.
 
A8L acceleration time 6.0 crooked (and the new engine is aggregated only with an all -wheel drive transmission) to a speed of 100 km/h - 5.8 s, up to 200 - 20 s, up to 250 - 38 s, you must admit, impressive! The motor in which aluminum alloys dominate is developing 420 liters. With. and 550 N.M of torque. It is also significant. And thanks to the new layout scheme, the engine turned out to be very compact, which made it possible to create a light car with relatively competitors - 1980 kg. We introduced you to ZR, 2001, No. 6 with the features of the heart of the car; Now we will take a closer look at her as a whole.
With an elongated A8L body, 6.0 has become even more representative. The trained eye will mark large wheels with 245/45ZR18 tires, a metallized false radiator grille and a new, double pipe of the exhaust system. For the rest of the w12 and 6.0 nameplate, they shave a special degree of prestige. Changed body proportions are felt primarily in the back seat: a lot of free space, expensive skin and inserts from no less expensive wood, as well as toothproof tooths responsible for the convenience of your stay.
However, all this is to one degree or another among competitors, so I immediately sit behind the wheel in order to feel the extraordinary of the new item. It seems that everything is familiar here. But ... an attempt to move smoothly immediately suffers a fiasco. Roaring deafly, Audi literally shoots from the place after the movement of the accelerator. As if there are no two tons of equipped mass - a car, like a good sports projectile, monitors all commands.
First Autoban. It is not a sin to try, what are 420 horses drawn into an all -wheel drive transmission A8. The body is poured with lead, while the right leg presses the accelerator pedal into the floor. The speedometer arrow instantly slips around 100, does not slow down for a moment by 200 and stubbornly slides further and further. Longitudinal acceleration is almost constantly, somewhere there, far five-speed automatic gently, but quickly switches the gears, sings a quiet song by a mighty motor, and the car, dissecting all the compacting space, rushes forward with a speed that causes even for an unlimited German autobahn. Soon the experiment has to be stopped: passing cars are very quickly starting to sweep past. While Audi smoothly loses speed, I recall: the box has also a sport mode and manual control with the gear toothproof tooths on the steering wheel.
Why all this? The tester's curiosity makes you transfer the machine lever to the position of S. Yeah! Temporaries decreased markedly, the car began to more accurately track all the driver’s commands, hold down the lowered gears longer, and more actively slow down the engine. In some situations, this will definitely come in handy. Turning on the suitable path, I try a little fuck in order to evaluate the controllability of A8. Well, if on a high -speed autobahn a car, as a glove, kept the road, almost not demanding attention, then on a winding serpentine the reaction of the car suddenly rejected clarity, and a strict steering wheel lost its proper feedback. In general, limousine immediately made it clear that this is not his element.
Of course, all -wheel drive, tenacious tires and electronic stability control perfectly perform their work, not allowing the machine to throw out the knee, but the solid size and the total autobas -ideology take their own - a large car does not like driving on the verge. Its behavior is also uneven and on minor irregularities. With generally good smoothness, Audi is in sufficient detail and noisily conveys the entire road trifle to the body, this is more reminiscent of the disputed version of the Audi S8. The city hustle and bustle ends the route, where not so much power is important as the convenience of controlling it. It is better not to touch the accelerator at all, smoothly rolling at revolutions close to idle - the engine and the machine allow this. Otherwise, the sharpness of the machine, constantly requiring attention, quickly tires, creating excessive sports surroundings around banal movement in space.
Audi A8L 6.0 quattro - the car is certainly extraordinary. Even among his own kind, it stands out by a temperament, which, thanks to the complete drive and speed of the responses of the car, sometimes simply stagger. However, we will mentally move to the chair of the main passenger: he is unlikely to want breathtaking overloads - they will only complicate life. Therefore, the impression of such a sports limousine is dual: it’s great behind the wheel, and for the one who is behind is perhaps a harsh. Although the potential buyer is most important than the w12 nameplate, and he will regulate the rest.

Audi A8L 6.0 Quattro
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1905 kg; full weight - 2530 kg; maximum speed - 250 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 5.8 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 9.8; 22.9 l/100 km; fuel supply - 92 l; Fuel - AI -95 gasoline. Dimensions, mm: length - 5164; width - 1880; height - 1438; base - 3010; The track in front/back - 1595/1586. Engine: gasoline, duodencilinder with a combination of two cylinder blocks, location - in front is longitudinally; working volume - 5998 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 84.0x90.2 mm; compression degree - 10.75; Power - 309 kW/420 l. With. at 6000 rpm; The maximum torque is 550 N.M at 3500-4750 rpm. Transmission: drive - on all wheels; gearbox - automatic, adaptive, five -speed; Transporting numbers: I - 3.57; II - 2.2; III - 1.505; IV - 1.0; V - 0.804; h. X. - 4.095; The main program is 2.909. Suspension: in front - four -lever with double upper and lower levers, back - multi -link. Brakes: hydraulic with ABS, circular ventilated in front and behind. Steering: rheck with an amplifier. Tire size: 245/45ZR18.
 
Text / Sergey Voskresensky
Photo / Sergey Voskresensky and Audi

Source: The magazine "Driving"