Test drive Audi A8 D2 1994 - 2002 Sedan

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The new flagship Audi may be a serious competitor to the representative models of the Mercedes Benz and BMW

Audi accepts the call
Our car is for those few whose exquisite taste distinguishes them in a crowd of ordinaryness - so almost 70 years ago the advertising avenue of the Auto -UNION concern dedicated to the new luxurious convertible Khorkh -670. How has the picture of the automobile world has changed since then! Horks, Packcards, Spanish-Suizi, Isotta-Frasini, without which not a single millionaire could not be presented before the war, they sunk into oblivion forever. Leaving at the top - in the representative class - only Rolls -Royce steamed with Bentley, but Cadillac with a linkoal. In continental Europe (and in Russia for sure!), Black Mercedes-Benz-S600 reigns the Black Mercedes-Benz-S600, looking down from his twelve-cylinder pedestal at all kinds of competitors-classmates there. Only the Bavarian seven is trying to challenge smug hardarted splendor. It doesn’t work out very much-S-Class sales are more than half the sale of the BMW of the 7th series. Moreover, the appearance of another competitor, this time from Audi.
In order to successfully compete with the Mercedes-Ben, a company from Ingolstadt as air needed something out of the ordinary. One raisor of Audi suggested - an all -wheel drive transmission, the improvement of which the plant engineers have been engaged in the last twenty years, a unique phenomenon on the membership. But the other ... 67 years after the 12-cylinder ferret-670 was discontinued, the first passenger car with four rings on the radiator grilled, equipped with a dozen cylinders, saw light. Moreover, this is not just a representative of the representative class, but an elongated version of A8L, on which, in fact, the most powerful of the 12-cylinder engines of serial production is a 420-horsepower 6-liter W12.
We sit down from behind
I would venture to assume that the main for the owners of this model will be the wool of 6.0 and W12. Especially the last, because no one still has this. As if taking this into account, the stylists made it seemingly unobtrusive, but at the same time very noticeable. The W12 index is present on the radiator grill, combined with inserts from expensive wood on the front panel and, finally, crings the upper motor cover - apparently for those who will still visit doubts.
The new engine did not change the appearance of A8. All the same smooth contours of a slightly extended body, the same emblem with four rings. Only unusually large wheels with tires of 245/45 ZR18, and a groaning radiator gleaming metal causes a feeling of a certain novelty. And therefore - what is there to reason, it's time to immediately behind the wheel. And then I decide to change the usual tactics.
Having put a colleague to the driver’s place, I sit in the back. After all, acquaintance with the limousine, which is bought, you must admit, is by no means in order to drive it, it is useful to start from here. While my driver is dealing with all kinds of electricchudes and scares the respectable burghers with cosmic accelerations, I, comfortably falling apart in a spacious leather seat, slowly studying the guttle of a limousine. It is convenient and comfortable here. You can press the toggle switch to push the front seat into the boundless distance and lie on the pillow, while stretching out legs. You can sit more modest, anyway, a feeling of deep self -esteem will no longer leave you.
But the one whom fate will bring to the place of the front passenger will not have to be so free. The roof hangs over the right temple, constantly reminding itself of a protruding handle. The tunnel of the gearbox takes a decent amount of space, which seems to be intended for the left leg. And no matter how much you play with the toothblasts of electrical adjustments, it is not possible to push the surrounding space. It immediately becomes clear that the owner of this car must be placed anywhere, but not in the front passenger seat. Have mercy, you bought a limousine!
That 12 cylinders can
The prevailing idyll was unceremoniously violated by my colleague. It turns out that he reached the most important in a five -speed automatic gearbox - sport mode. The cervical vertebrae begin to cry plaintively while the driver revels in the accelerated capabilities of the car. I admit honestly, a passenger like an Audi temperament seems even excessive. Thank God, some kind of quiet carriage, which has not yet managed to accelerate to 250 km/h, suddenly occupies the left row of an autobahn. A moment of zero gravity, and already braking force rivets me to the seat belt. Everything, enough! It's time to drive. There will be at least something to cling to.
Interesting, but you do not feel crowding at the wheel. Hands easily find convenient adjusting keys in the right places, and, obeying them, controls, rustling with servo drives, as if themselves approach the desired points of contact. Yes, perhaps here it is convenient not only for the passenger in the back seat! By some thought, you understand that this is logical. After all, amenities for the driver are the most important element of the active security of a rich passenger. And only a guard can sit ahead on the right - comfort is not at all obligated.
I smoothly touch the place - remembering the experience, I deliberately choose a different tactic. I must admit that the A8L6.0 reactions are sharpened on the movements of the accelerator pedal, like a good sports projectile. A little sharply pressed on the gas, and an irresistible longitudinal acceleration simply presses into the back of the seat.
It is necessary to act very tenderly, even reverently acting with the right foot, so as not to strain others and your own body. The simplest thing is to move off and slightly accelerated, remove the leg from the gas and roll at a blast speed - the motor and the machine allow this. Feeling the relaxed condition of the driver, the car becomes leisurely comfortable, with a feeling and really reacting to the commands with a steering wheel. Only a rather rigid tapping of tires on small irregularities violates harmony.
In the meantime, we get out for an autobahn. It is already a sin not to take advantage of its superiority over others. Like a tight clot of energy, Audi rushes forward. A hitherto inaudible engine reminds of itself with a distant low roar. A moment, and the speedometer arrow, easily jumping 200 km/h, breaks on. With every second, the road is already becoming already, passing cars rush past at the speed of oncoming ones, and the engine disperses and disperses the car. And it is necessary, at the wheel all this is perceived quite tolerant, while a colleague persistently tries to pull his head off the headrest.
Alas, it is not possible to achieve the maximum speed. While the speedometer arrow is selected by 250 km/h, someone far ahead occupies the left row and begins to catastrophically approach. You have to repay my companion in the same way, sharply inverted to normal, according to Germanic concepts, speeds of 160-170 km/h.
It's time to experiment with a gearbox. The sport mode differs from the usual longer twisting of the motor in each gear and timely smoking lowered during braking. Temporary intervals are also reduced, and the box begins to work almost without delay: quickly and at the same time very softly. Although, to be honest, in the usual mode you do not experience any inconvenience, and the possibility of manual switching is completely perceived as a trinket. The power of the motor is enough with excess in any modes and in any road situations. Fashionable button switching on the steering wheel sometimes even interferes. A couple of times, having attached my palm on the steering wheel, I involuntarily turned on the program, guessing about it from the changed engine sound. So with the capabilities of the machine, perhaps overkill.
      
Why do we need a double-in?
Well-wishers explain the persistence with which Volkswagen engineers conjure over new V-shaped engines with a small angle of collapse and W-shaped engines, only by the fact that the combination of these Latin letters forms an abbreviation on behalf of the VW company. Although it is unlikely that this witty hypothesis is a true explanation of Volkswagen policy. Indeed, without a technical reason, the company would never have decided on such an expensive experiment.
In fact, engines of this type are much more compact and therefore allow you to make the car as spacious, safe and powerful. So, the length of the 12-cylinder engine of the new A8 is 513 mm with a width of 710 mm, which does not exceed the same parameters of the usual V-shaped eight of production of the same audi. In our case, this gives at least one indisputable plus: the 6-liter W12 allowed to preserve the Audi-A8 all-wheel drive transmission, for which there would be no place with a traditional arrangement of 12 cylinders.
Mischievous turns
Audi controllability, as befits a large solid car, is very reliable. On the highway it is almost impeccable: the A8L6.0 is directly created for a long speed movement. However, on the winding of the mountain serpentine, it does not behave so perfectly. The steering wheel is too light and uninformative, inaccuracies appear in the responses of the machine, and although thanks to powerful tires, complete drive and caring electronics, the car does not present any surprises, it still feels that this is not its element. Yes, and oncoming drivers, seeing a solid limousine, heartily screeching with tires in a steep turn, begin to blink frightened with headlights - hint at the inadmissibility of such experiments. Well, if you find in Germany a not very flat road, a rather noisy and rigid operation of the suspension on small irregularities will pay attention again. With generally very good smoothness, the car here is more reminiscent of its disputed counterpart S8.
They say that in Moscow there is already a queue for Audi-A8L6.0. And this is at a price of $ 120,000. Well, we have connoisseurs of everything prestigious and at the same time record-free in their assertiveness can easily compete with Arab sheikhs. And the traditional six hundredth has already fed. So full forward, the most powerful Audi! That's just the owners who are sitting in passenger places, I would advise you to pick up the driver calmer and more folly: 420 horses are still a devilishly quick herd!
 
Ergonomics of the driver's seat an indispensable element of the passive safety of the representative of the representative class. Therefore, the front panel A8L6.0 is thought out with purely German thoroughness
   
In the back seat of a new Audi you understand that this is without exaggeration a car for a passenger
      
  
 
 
Audi A8L6.0 Quattro
common data
 
Number of places
5
 
Equipped mass, kg
1905
 
Complete mass, kg
2530
 
Length x width x height, mm
5164 x 1880 x 1438
 
Base, mm
3010
 
Front/back, mm track
1595/1586
 
Maximum speed, km/h
250
 
Acceleration time, 0-100 km/h, with
5.8
 
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
9.8/22.9
 
Fuel supply, l
92 (AI-95)
 
Engine
 
Location
The front is longing
 
Design
 
from aluminum alloy,
12-cylinder,
W-shaped
 
The number of valves per cylinder
4 at angle 72O
 
Cylinder diameter /piston stroke, mm
84.0 x 90.2
 
Working volume, SMZ
5998
 
Compression ratio
10.75
 
Power, L.S. (kW) at rpm
420 at 6000
 
Torque, kgsm (nm) at rpm
56.1 at 35004750
 
Chassis
 
Transmission
 
a full -wheel drive with an interdosseous differential such as a torsen and the ESP electronic stabilization system
 
Transmission
automatic, 5-speed, adaptive with manual control function
 
Front/rear suspension
 
independent on transverse parallel triangular levers with springs and hydraulic absorbers/ Independent multi -link
 
Steering
REMENCH with an amplifier
 
Brakes
disc ventilated with hydraulic drive and abs
 
The size of the tires
245/45 ZR18
 
Sergey Voskresensky, photo Audi
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [04/01]