New Audis are sure to impress
Back in October, Audi Canada held a first-of-its-kind event at Mosport International Raceway, just outside Bowmanville, Ontario. It was to be a full-line preview of their entire vehicle line (except, sadly, for the R8, which wasn't present), and a chance for influential members of the press to experience the company's complete range of exceptional product for the coming model year.
Somehow (probably a clerical error), my name ended up on the list of invitees as well. So off I went, thinking that it would make for a good story for Autonet readers; not fully appreciating the wording of the invite which stated an "unprecedented range of vehicles".
And whoo, they weren't kidding. I had perhaps not appreciated just how complete and varied a range the German manufacturer (Audi, incidentally, is the premium vehicle unit of parent Volkswagen AG) presented.
Clearly there is more than one story here; so in the interest of not doing too much of a disservice to one of the world's foremost manufacturers of luxury sports cars, this week we'll just take a look at vehicles from Audi's lineup that have the numbers "8" and "6" in their names.
Those autos would be the A6 and A8, and the S6 and S8. For those of you playing along at home, the "S" designation stands for Sport.
2007 A6 LINE
New for the upcoming year in the A6 line is the availability of a new eight-cylinder engine. Now the standard engine on the A6 (which can also be had with a 3.2 litre V6), this newest evolution of their V8 gives the car an additional 15 horses over past years, and will now ramp up to 350 hp at 6800 rpms, and puts it to the full-time all wheel drive (Audi's Quattro system) with 325 lb-ft of torque.
The A6 can be had as either a sedan, which still boasts one of the most recognizable and oft-imitated silhouettes in the world, or as the A6 Avant (read: wagon).
Audi claims a fuel economy of 13.6 L/100km in the city and 9.3 on the highway, and points to their racing-born FSI injection system as the reason.
Standard on the As are 17-in. wheels, but, depending on option packages selected for the base vehicle, the rims can be pimped up to 18 or 19, giving it an extremely slick looking stance at the curb.
I probably don't need to tell you that the interior is immaculately rendered, with the choice of colours and materials all style-appropriate to make the A6 a feast of luxury.
What I do need to tell you, of course, is that the A6 family starts at an MSRP of $62,700 for the 3.2 and works its way up $75,600, before options and delivery charges.
2007 S6
The "S", remember, stands for sport (and, according to the company's press bumph, it also stands for "unequivocal dynamism", but Good Lord what a mouthful of marketing that is), and builds on the A by dropping a monster of an engine into the elegant frame.
The S6 is powered by a new V10 engine (similar to the one in the S8, further up the line), a 5.2 litre powerhouse that sends the car to new levels of extreme performance for a vehicle in this class. Think 435 horses and 398 lb-ft torque at relatively low engine speeds, and its easy to see that Audi's performance statement of 0-100 km/h times of 5.2 seconds is quite reasonable.
It's electronically limited to 250 km/h, which should be enough for any luxury/sports enthusiast.
But it's the refinement in harnessing all that power that makes the S6 a true Audi; acceleration is seamless and controlled throughout the powerband, and the engine note of the big 10-banger is never allowed to become rough or harsh.
As with the A, the powerplant incorporates FSI direct-injection technology to optimize the engine for high torque, even at only 3000 rpm.
The S6, like the A6, uses a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, and while very well equipped right from the base model, offers an array of options that will propel its price even higher from the already-exclusive $101,900 MSRP
2007 A8
The A8 is the premium luxury sedan in Audi's lineup, and one of the most impressive premium luxury sedans in the world. Every facet of the car emanates such a feeling of upscale success that I'm surprised the alarm didn't go off when I got into one, having sensed that my economic status was somehow beneath it.
The big A actually comes as three models; the regular A8 is the normal-wheelbase version, the A8 L is an extended wheelbase for extra cabin room (stretching from 2944 mm to 3074 mm, while the overall length remains the same) and the A8 L W12- an A8 L with a 12-cylinder engine. Yes, 12.
The first two A8s incorporate the new 4.2 litre V8 from the A6, with its not-unrespectable 350 hp power, the W12 harnesses 450 horses from its six litre engine.
Inside, the A8 in any flavour is fit for royalty. Four-zone temperature control, Bluetooth interface, voice recognition, a full compliment of onboard electronics and high quality leathers pamper the occupants with the finest trappings of the good life.
The pneumatic suspension system makes the ride a perfect combination of the best of sporty and comfortable, while the optional Bang & Olufsen advanced sound system turn it into a concert hall.
So while the price may cause some jaws to drop, the A8 line certainly lives up to the idea that you really do get a lot for your money.
Starting MSRPs for the A8, A8 L, and A8 W12 are $97,190, $101, 360 and $170,800
2007 S8
The "S" is for Sport, you will recall. And while I can now say that I have driven one of the finest sport/luxury vehicles in the world on the world class long track at Mosport Raceway, I can't say I drove it very fast, as it was raining heavily that day.
I was able to drive one much quicker, though, at the Car of the Year test fest a couple of weeks back in Niagara on the Lake, as the jewel of Audi's lux-performance crown was an entry in the Prestige vehicle category.
Needless to say it smoked everything in its class, standing out well above notable competitors like Mercedes-Benz's S-Class, the Jaguar XK and Lexus' LS 460 in terms of pure, smooth as cream acceleration.
The S8 straps on an FSI-injected V10 engine pumping 450 hp and 398 lb-ft, for a sprint from zero to 100 in 4.9 seconds, and rides behind that power with a luxuriant, near-silent cockpit.
As with all the Audis discussed in our Autonet feature today, the S8 was Quattro-equipped, making handling extraordinarily good, with the weight distribution on the frame allowing precise, perfect steering.
The space I have remaining won't allow justice to the car, but if you're curious, check out www.audicanada.ca as a starting point, and any number of mentions across the Net will back up everything the company claims for the S8
The S8 starts at a weighty $129,700 but puts into a luxury automobile everything that has built the company into a legend at Lemans.
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