QUICK SPIN: Audi A8 L 4.2 TDI quattro
Johannesburg - As you get older, you find – at least as far as cars go – that smoothness and comfort are more important than speed and dynamics.
Piloting a hot hatch is great fun – but you feel you can never relax. You’re always looking over your shoulder in case someone is about to line you up for an ancient, macho (and it’s mainly men who do this, so no apologies for being sexist in this case) pissing contest.
As you mature, you begin to appreciate a car which wafts you along in bump-absorbing luxury and serene quiet – a car which covers ground effortlessly.
That’s why I really connected with Audi’s top sedan offering, the A8 L (L is for limousine, and indicates that it has a wheelbase which is stretched over the normal A8 excutive sedan).
With the added length, you can stretch out, business-class style, in the rear seat. Mind you, despite shelling out over R1.5 million for the 4.2 TDI Quattro version which we had on test, you would still not get the full reclining back seats that you find in the top-of-the-range R2 million W12.
I never got to feel what the back was like – apart from sitting there when the car was stationary.
I would not be permitted to have anyone (other than perhaps my colleagues from Star Motoring) chauffeur me around.
IT’S GREAT TO DRIVE
But, behind the steering wheel, you quickly disabuse yourself of the idea that this is a wallowy barge for those captains of industry for whom seat-of-the-pants driving means not disturbing your piles as you are driven around.
As a driver’s car, the A8 (even its slightly heavier and longer form) is awesome. The 4.2-litre V8 diesel engine thumps out 283kW of power and 850Nm of torque. Which means it will hit 100km/h from rest in just over 5 secs, even at Gauteng altitude, and deliver simply shattering overtaking acceleration.
That torque means that there is often no more than a wish-press on the accelerator to get the 2-ton beast rocketing past inferior machinery (which is to say most other vehicles on the road).
The brilliant Audi Quattro system ensures that all four wheels get an electronic-distributed share of the grunt on offer, which makes for excellent roadholding and comforting secure handling.
Inside the car, it’s everything you expect from a limo – and an Audi. In other words, design elegance, simplicity and practicality. But in a mature, let’s-not-shout-about-this way. The fact that Audi interiors are very similar right from the bottom to the top of the manufacturer’s range, by the way, emphasises what a great bargain you’re getting at the lower end, where few competitors offer this class.
The A8 L is for the privileged (or the hard-working) few who like their iron fist in a designer-label velvet glove. And who know the real secret to power is not having to shout about it. -Saturday Star
FACTS
Audi A8 L 4.2 TDI quattro
Engine: 4134cc, V8 turbodiesel
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 283kW @ 3850rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 2000-2750rpm
0-100km/h (claimed): 4.9 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 250km/h
Consumption (claimed): 7.5 litres per 100km
Price: R1 659 000
Warranty: One-year/unlimited km
Maintenance plan: Five-year/100 000km