Nira_Lim

We should be expecting better performance on the new model coming out!

"A revised V6 or V8 engine would power the car. The base version would have a V6 engine with the addition of stop start technology and direct fuel injection technology added as this improves fuel efficiency. The top version would be fitted with a V8 engine of 4.6 liter capacity. This if we note is lesser than that present 5.4 liter capacity. The modified engine delivers 429 hp and has better fuel efficiency. They are also coming out with a diesel version which would be fitted with a 2.1 liter four cylinder 204 hp engine."

No news on the interior yet. Not sure what we should be expecting. Hopefully something beyond the A8's

transferred

First I've heard of a 4 cyl diesel...seems odd given they just released a cleaned up version of the 350 diesel in Europe...

now 204 bhp from the 2.1 is great output but I wouldn't want a 4 cyl S-class (I could see it in an E, maybe)...the 6cyl diesel work great but this is taking things too far if accurate...

emilner

You know, the more I look at that interior the more I hate it. At first I thought it looked awesome, but just checking this thread a few times has me worn out. There is more going on in the inside of that car than a furniture showroom. Everything is so busy with 4-6 different contrasting materials spaces inches apart. Look at the door panels, there are 5-6 layers of 4-5 materials. The more I see it the more nauseous I get. I think the S is a nicer interior. Don't get me wrong, at first I felt it leaped past the S, but my first impression was wrong. The S interior is beautiful and timeless. It is not fussy, it does not need trillions of pieces and parts bolted together to look like abstract artwork. It is simple, straightforward and elegant...

skrontz

I cannot agree with you more! Frankly, I could not understand for the life of me what the folks here liked about the new A8 interior. I'm seeing plastic buttons everywhere, horribly positioned audio and climate controls, the navigation screen that looks like an aftermarket addition, and the gear shift selector straight from a circa-1990 Jaguar. It definitely looks cool as a concept, but an ergonomic disaster otherwise. The W221 cabin is like a finely furnished living room compared to this ultra-modern motel; no tacky buttons or curves, just pure function and elegance.

haris3344

Come on guys, A8 interior looks nice. S interior looks more like Buick with options. Just because we own S class does not mean that we have to show prejudice towards A8 which is in same class.

No doubt, A8L and 750LI can't even come close to Benz in prestige and class.

skrontz

Can you elaborate on what in the A8 interior "looks nice" specifically? There's no design theme, there's just a bunch of misshaped buttons thrown around.

I have never seen a Buick interior designed that well, using the same material quality (wood, leather, aluminum buttons, and so on), and with the same ergonomics as W221. If W221 looks like a Buick, the A8 looks like a new low-end Lexus hybrid:



For the umpteenth time, many of us easily could afford both A8 and W221. It's just that the A8's interior does not look like a well-designed luxury car. Throwing a bunch of wood and wild curves here and there does not constitute design.

Nira_Lim

There is a difference between classy and progressing forward...
You guys should understand that we are progressing in technology and the A8 is just incorporating those technological advances into the car.

Yes of course the S Class is "beautiful and timeless" because its a classy car. Simple but complicated. While the A8 is more of a bold statement of I OFFER YOU COMFORT. For who have owned an S class, you really appreciate the attention to detail.

Both cars are great in their own ways. Its all a matter of preference really.



You cant compare this car to that Lexus lol. That car is made up of plastic and cheap material. There is no sense of quality. Go sit in the the A8 and you will see that it is very ergonomically designed. Whether your the driver or the passenger, every button is conveniently placed for you.

emilner

You have obviously never sat in either car or your senses have been numbed to the point of extinction...

cjf_moraga

+! Beautifully put... Less is definitely more!

Chris

jprescott

I hate to jump into these types of discussions. Haven't we all seen pictures of new body styles over the years which when seen in the flesh take on a whole new life? As an S550 owner and fan I can tell you from personal experience that to sit in the new A8 is imperative to make any judgement. It is a beautiful car and feels right. After you see it in person revisit this thread. Obviously it becomes an issue of the "eye of the beholder". In my eye the S is beautiful and so is the A8.

mhr24

In my opinion, any cars with that type of rear seating package (Lexus LS, Audi A8L), just look so worn out after seeing them more than once.

Mrkhan347

interior, is indeed, impressive.

with that being said, gentleman, please keep in mind this is their most flagship model, the a8l w12.

it is not to be compared to s550 or 750li, rather the s600 and 760li.

i do not think i would spend 100k on an Audi if i did not have a Mercedes Benz or a BMW first.

Audi is always third place in my eyes.

haris3344

I don't need to tell you what I have owned in the past or sat in one. Keep your opinion to your self. Then again, why argue? Especially with the guy whose Garage floor looks like a checker board. Waste of my time.

eugene22n

Saw one on the road yesterday and I think the car seriously lacks presence in the same way that the LS does.

From the front it looks like its crying and the rear design looks droopy like every other Audi.

I can't wait to sit in one to see what the interior is like because the previous A8's interior was also nice in pictures until you actually sat in it and realized everything was the same quality as in the A4. This also applied to the R8. Also ... to Lamborghini. Too much parts bin.

emilner

Ummm, you're the dude who said the S class interior looks like a Buick. LOL. Don't take it to personally, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt, now we know it's your opinion that's burnt...

eugene22n

I actually appreciate the ergonomic design of the S Class. Very few buttons yet I find myself doing everything quite quickly. Audi and Lexus designs are in contrast.

And of course the S's interior is nothing like any Buick. If anything the Buick design is heading in the Lexus direction. Ridiculous statement.

Emauss

My previous car was a 2006 A8L pretty well loaded. I was really ready to buy the 2011 A8. I sat in it at the NYC auto show as I felt (and still feel) the interior is the best in the industry.
I was on the Audi boards in active discussions about the car I was going to buy with other loyal Audi owners. Then my dealer got the car in for a test drive....and I was not impressed.
The ride was okay, but not as smooth as I was hoping for. While it rode a little better than my (pampered) 2006, it was not head-and-shoulders above it.
I was going to purchase it anyway, but fingured for the price of the Audi (about $95K) I should at least test the Mercedes.
I did and I was blown away by the comparision. The test drives were within an hour of each other and there really was no doubt as to which car I would buy. Halfway through the (very thorough) test drive (kudos the Maryanne at Rallye Motors) my wife and I looked at each other and it was a done deal.
I have had the car for 3 weeks now and every time I drive it I am re-assured of my decission.
Audi makes the best interior in the class, but there is a reason there are so many Mercedes on the road.

Eric

skrontz

There's even a bigger difference between technology and design. Every design is appropriate for a particular application. The expensive furniture is made of wood, and not the much more technologically advanced materials. Luxury does have a significant conservative element to it.

I'm not sure what bleeding edge technology the A8 is introducing here. Looking at the features (rear seat massage, ventilation, video screens, and so on), there is nothing really that haven't been implemented by other auto makers during the past decade. There are no features that justify the particular interior design. If anything, the technology is moving away from the myriads of plastic buttons to touch screens; from that standpoint, the cabin is pretty dated.

Attention to detail? Why use plastic and not aluminum for the buttons? Why the seat controls look nothing like the seats? Why does the navigation screen look like an aftermarket addition? Many questions with no answers.

We're talking about the design, not the quality of materials. Lexus could deliver the same (or better) quality for the same price, but there is more beyond that. Try using the seat controls inconveniently positioned on the side of the seat you're sitting in or reaching down to these climate controls placed at the weird angle way down there and we'll talk about ergonomics. Ergonomics is not about the number of buttons (Mercedes could throw a button for every feature on the dashboard, too), it's about having exactly the necessary set of controls at your convenience. Every single button in the W221 has a function; I can hardly see what one can subtract or add.

CL55_Serge

Buicks have nice interiors too, this particular one is worth more than a dozen of the Audi A8Ls ;-)

My take on the Audi - rear seats look sweet, exterior is boring and will be dated very quickly just like every other Audi sedan design. Too many knobs/buttons - Mercedes does "more with less". I respect the Audi, but it will fade into history quietly like the VW Phaeton.

jprescott

Welcome to the forum. I recognized your username immediately from the Audiworld forums. You will love the car and this forum. A bit more helpful most of the time.

Jon

Emauss

Thanks for the welcome. I was on a different BENZ site, but think I found "home".

jamesjohn012

Wow fantastic car with awesome interior and exterior looking so beautiful. Really likes the car....

Emauss

Interior is truly the class of the class.....but the ride just can't compare to the Mercedes1