Test drive Audi A8 D2 1994 - 2002 Sedan

Resistance is futile

I always liked this car. I liked the body, the beautiful design of the chassis I was and remain its hot fan. And it was precisely to me that they instructed this test ... driving my impressions to the computer, I tried to be objective and, if possible, avoid excessive enthusiasm. It seems that I didn’t really succeed.


The Audi A8 car saw the light in 1993 then it was the Audi ASF concept. Such a practice has become quite ordinary for Audi to recall the prototype of a safe car of the future, shown in 1981 in Frankfurt. A year later, it turned into Audi 100, which was later recognized as a car of the year. Interestingly, Audi concept kars fully justify their purpose, demonstrating not only the style of a promising serial car, but also the most important new constructive and technological solutions. An example of a small Audi A2 shown three years ago at the Frankfurt Auto Show and literally just put on the conveyor.


Sometimes the concept is so successful that it goes into the series, as they say, from the wheels, without any changes. So it was with the famous Audi Quattro, the ancestor of cars with constant all -wheel drive. In any case, now the Italian word Quattro (four) is firmly connected with the products of this German company and with the sports successes of the Audi brand. It also gave the name to the factory tuning center Audi Quattro GmbH, which produces improved versions of serial all-wheel drive cars.


The abbreviation of ASF (Audi Space Frame), which received a prototype sedan that struck the imagination of visitors to Frankfurt '93, pointed out the new concept of a full-sized aluminum car body. For greater persuasiveness, external aluminum panels were polished to a mirror shine. The body design was a combination of aluminum profiles, as well as stamped and cast parts. Connected by welding and rivets, they formed a spatial frame, to which external aluminum body panels were attached. The main advantages of this design (not inferior in strength to steel) low weight and high corrosion resistance. All this found application in the serial Audi A8, which appeared on sale already in 1994 when materials about ASF were still published in the Western auto press. Since then, the Audi A8 adequately represents the company at the highest level, being, in fact, the representative car, especially in the long -drawn version (we offer it to your attention).


Talking about the appearance of the Audi A8 pointlessly look at the photo. The resistance is useless, and I remove the hat in front of the Audi designers, who created one of the best (in my opinion) sedan bodies for the entire modern automobile history. The machine recently underwent a cosmetic procedure that the language does not turn to call restyling. In some places, small chrome parts and overlays appeared, the optics changed slightly, but the hand did not rise to the holy body of the holy body, which indicates the prudence of designers and Audi leaders. The only thing that the long -border (plus 130 mm) version A8 could not avoid, some distortion of the proportions of the body, which, of course, is characteristic of all cars in this way.


We will take up the design of the machine. The heart of a beauty V-shaped eight-cylinder engine with a working volume of 4172 cm cubic meters. Develops power 310 hp. at 6200 vol./min. and torque 410 nm in the range from 3,000 to 4000. Such indicators (especially the torque) are largely due to the following set: five valves per cylinder, two upper camshafts of each half of the cylinder block and the variable geometry of the intake manifold.


The pride of the company is a full -wheel drive transmission of QUATTRO with a constant supply of torque, the inter -cross differential Torsen and electronic locking EDS. Plus a five -speed Tiptronic machine with a manual gear mode.


The front suspension on the transverse levers made of four rods, which form a virtual axis of rotation of the wheel when crossing their longitudinal axes of their longitudinal axes. The rear suspension according to the kinematic principle also refers to the type on transverse levers, the lower of which is in terms of a trapezoid. A spring is based on the trapezoid, and the shock absorber is connected to the upper lever. The kinematics of the rear suspension possesses the so -called steering effect.


The steering rheck type, with an amplifier, a brake system with ventilated disks on all wheels and a bin -piston floating bracket in front. The brakes are equipped with ABS and EBV systems, the latter distributes the brake efforts through the wheels depending on the road situation under each wheel.


According to the status of large -class cars, the A8 chassis is packed in full. In addition to the already mentioned ABS and EBV, the machine has an ASR system that reduces the engine power when the wheel slipping, as well as the ESP exchange rate stability system, which essentially unites all of the above systems organizing their joint work.


Welcome to the salon, I would even say to the VIP-hall. Spacious. Everywhere restrained, non -coding luxury. The quality of materials, the manufacture and fitting of parts is the highest. The commonality of the style of the interior of Audi cars was clearly visible in both A4 and A6, but still the difference is noticeable to the TOP class, in a word.


The form of a torpedo with a characteristic visor over a combination of devices and selecting the upper edge fits perfectly into the salon, where seats and internal door panels feel well. The interior is finished with skin, there are inserts made of natural wood, the larva of the automatic transmission selector is made of aluminum.


The driver's seat is moderately tough and reliably holds the sitting in it, with the help of adjustments you can arrange a real attraction to pass through the cabin. And this is with my two -meter growth! I used to do this quickly to fit the chair, but here I could not deny myself the pleasure of experimenting with landing options you can sit as you want. Including, of course, and as it should. The process is controlled by the buttons located under the left hand on the seat pillow. The usual adjustments of the longitudinal, vertical and inclined are supplemented by setting up the lumbar support and the ability to move the upper slice (on the central stance of the body) of the security belt. In addition, the steering column is regulated by electricity both in length and in the corner of inclination ... After adjusting the external mirrors, I brought all the settings in memory, which turned out to be very useful, since then I had to move the seat during the shooting of the salon.


The governing bodies are very conveniently located in a luxurious sports sedan. The fact that the A8 is still a representative car reminded the tour. A wide doorway has passed ... the front seat, adjusted, I recall, under my height, far ahead. I have never been sitting in modern cars so free. You can even lie slightly by tilting the back accordingly. The adjustments buttons are the same as that of the front seat, and the right rear passenger can move in front of the keys on the armrest of his door. The glass of the rear doors is equipped with curtains, the sun protection on the rear window is controlled by the button on the dashboard.


It's time to move forward. When the ignition is turned off, the steering wheel is pushed to the dashboard to facilitate the entrance-exit (excess, there is enough space). With the launch of the engine, the steering wheel left and took a programmed position. The cabin is still quiet, only you can hear the air conditioner. To include music, it is required to enter the code, but we did not know it and therefore set off on the road in silence. The car is equipped with a navigation system useless so far in Russia (a color liquid crystalline display, which is included in it, is located on a torpedo, which can be used as a TV or monitor to display information).


The transmission selector is transferred to position D somehow slurred, but this is most likely a matter of habit, the regime resembles a pointer in the center of a combination of devices. The above stylized yellow image of the tire. This is an air pressure indicator in tires, he said that everything is fine. You can go.


They moved smoothly, rolled easily and silently ... The steering wheel so far is a light so and should be at low speed. It took very little time to get used to the dimensions of the car, which even caused some concern. I wanted to go faster the car did not mind, easily and calmly increased speed. It is time to evaluate the smoothness of the course. The result was known in advance A8 simply cannot go poorly, the suspension works almost perfectly, equally well working out the irregularities of different sizes and lengths. Even sewer hatches and tram tracks can introduce any blows to the body, with the phenomenon of breakdown.


We got out on the highway, and now you can talk about dynamics. A sharp press on the gas pedal caused a violent response of the machine. Quickly realizing what was required of her, she rushed forward. The engine did not overslept and quickly increased the speed, the transmission played him almost without hesitation switched to a low gear. A solid sedan (equipped mass is almost 1800 kg) rapidly gained speed. The characteristic of the machine does not cause complaints, the transfers switch almost imperceptibly, and acceleration feels like riding on a speed elevator. For those whom the elevator is not satisfied, a manual transplant mode is provided (you need to transfer the selector lever from position D to the right), but in this machine it is on the second roles: the machine operates perfectly.


In normal speed mode, the car obviously obeys the steering wheel, the force on it increases in proportion to the speed, providing good feedback. High -speed steering at increased speed did not reveal dangerous symptoms of disobedience. The car rode in the direction I indicated, confidently prescribing the turns. I disconnected the system of maintaining the course stability, but even after that, when driving on an impromptu snake, Audi did not attempt to break off the set trajectory.


I almost forgot about the brakes. They fulfill their duties effectively and imperceptibly, A8 slows down and stops in the right way. Another, no less important result of their excellent work, the driver’s confidence. In itself, in the car in any situation.


A decent class to the driver of the Audi A8 will give pleasure comparable to the one that the music love at the concert of a pretty playing orchestra receives. And the main thing here is the high quality of the components, as well as their harmonious combination. In both, we emphasize, cases.
 
Sergey Ivanov
 

A source: Motor magazine [June 2000]