2011 Audi A8 L

The new A8 is a huge step ahead of the previous model

Published on May 01, 2011 07:00:00 AM

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Audi’s direct injection V8 is a very special motor. It feels unburstable, massively enthusiastic and is so good that when you give it the stick, you just want to keep powering on.Also used to power the mid-engined R8 supercar, this motor elevates the A8L to another level.

On offer are 372 fired-up horses, 45.37kgm of twist from 3500rpm and, best of all, a 7000rpm redline that’s willingly visited. And the excellent relationship the engine shares with the eight-speed gearbox only adds to the performance equation.

Hit the throttle and it will pin your shoulders to the seat, as the red needle shoots up the speedo. A linear surge builds from almost idle right up to the 7000rpm redline and if you don’t pay much attention to your right foot, you will find yourself on the wrong side of 200kph. Flat-out 100kph is dispatched in a blistering 6.4sec and the A8L reaches a limited top speed of 250kph without losing its breath. Remember the size and weight of this car to get a full measure of what Audi has accomplished here. And it’s creamy, totally hushed and super refined when out cruising.

But while the gearbox works beautifully with the motor in normal mode, there are some jerks experienced in S or sport. This is especially true if you go from an amble to full throttle. The massive disc brakes are also more than upto the task of hauling down this two-tonne-plus behemoth and it took just 25.56 metres to come to a full halt from 80kph. There is however a fair bit of movement under braking, which at times is a tad disconcerting.

A large petrol V8 hauling two tonnes is bound to consume loads of fuel. So it’s no surprise that we achieved a very un-green 5.6kpl in the city and 10.4kpl on the highway. What was a bit of a surprise was the amount it took to top up the 90-litre tank — a wallet-emptying Rs 5,600 at current prices!