What do you do if you have a striking-looking sedan in your design stable and don’t want to tamper with the looks but want to offer discerning drivers something with just a tad more room and a bit more on-road presence? This was the issue that faced the designers at Audi when they were looking at the already popular A8. The end result: the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase, also known as the Audi A8L.

The Audi A8 Long Wheelbase shares a lot of features with its little brother, the plain (if one can use this word about any Audi) A8. Once again, you have the stylish chrome, the sleek lines and the attention to detail that tell you that this is a machine that simply oozes class, prestige and status. The good looks of the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase are a black and white issue, which isn’t to say that some people will love them while others will hate them. On the contrary: most people will love the style of the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase, apart from those who prefer something with less subtlety and want something that screams “I’m a big powerful car that can go faster than anything else, nya, nya!” But this sort of person isn’t going to be in the queue for an Audi of any sort. But the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase does come in a selection of monochrome shades, much like the suits of the people who are most likely to be driving them, with a discreet navy blue that’s only a slight shade away from black being the only colour on offer.

But the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase certainly is no slouch in the power stakes and those with the brazen I’m-fast-nya-nya types of cars would be wise to hold back if tempted to challenge this smooth European. The 4.2 FSI V8 petrol engine is capable of putting out 273 kW of power and 445 Nm of torque, while the diesel-powered 3.0 TDI variant can achieve respectable 184 kW power (550 Nm of torque) and the big 4.2 TDI diesel manages to deliver 258 kW of power and 800 Nm of torque (yes, that’s right, 800 Nm). Couple these engines up via the eight-speed tiptronic transmission to Audi’s famous Quattro drivetrain and you’ve got more than enough to pick up a speeding ticket if you do anything more than attempting to drag each other off at the lights… with a good chance that the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase will win the contest. Take it to a legal racing site and things could be very interesting indeed. However, those most likely to be driving the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase are probably more interested in the economics of the engines: for the 4.2 FSI, you can manage a combined fuel economy of 9.7 L/100 km; for the 3.0 TDI, you can get 6.6 L/100km; and for the 4.2 TDI, you can get a very surprising 7.8 L/100 km, which is quite a feat for such a big, powerful engine. And which of the engines that can be found under the elegant hood of the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase can do the 0–100 km/h sprint in the fastest time? The 4.2 FSI can do it in 5.7 seconds, the 3.0 TDI does it in 6.2 seconds and the 4.2 TDI makes it to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds – another impressive feature of the 4.2 TDI.

So the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase looks good and its performance is everything that you’d expect a luxury European-designed sedan to be. Does the interior live up to the outside and the powerhouse? Of course it does. Would you expect anything less from Audi? The interior seat trim can continue the monochromatic theme of the exterior to the inside or can be varied with subtle neutrals… all in top quality leather, of course. Naturally, the seat trim is colour-coordinated with the dashboard colour and the carpet. The seats are super-comfortable, and possibly exceed the level of comfort on offer in many sitting rooms: how many sitting rooms have seats. And don’t forget the relaxation seat option – this is one for those who are driven by a chauffeur, as it puts a huge level of comfort and convenience in the back for the lucky, lucky owner to enjoy during the ride. Not only does the relaxation seat have all the adjustments you can think of – fore and aft adjustments, lumbar support – but it also comes with a footrest and a massage function. Now you know why the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase is longer than it’s predecessor – it’s got to fit all this luxury in. For lesser mortals who aren’t going to go for the relaxation seat option, the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase still has ambient lighting, a two-piece panoramic sunroof, four-zone automatic air conditioning, and the rear seat entertainment option. The rear seat entertainment option includes two LCD screens with separate volume controls and surround sound. It’s all about comfort, style and luxury – and lots of room.

You can find plenty of other gadgets inside the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase – this is a car that James Bond would have been proud to drive, although it hasn’t quite got a missile launcher. What it does have is a leather-covered 3-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel with shift paddles, the MMI Navigation plus system, Xenon plus headlights and more.

The Quattro drivetrain is designed to keep the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase stable on the road, but along with this, the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase also has all the safety features you can imagine, and possibly a few you couldn’t imagine. Nowadays, we’ve all heard of rear parking assist, and the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase’s got that, but it’s also got side assist to help with lane changes, sideswipe collisions being quite roomy. Now, bet you didn’t imagine that one!

In a nutshell, the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase has everything that you’d expect from a luxury machine and the designers have put in the extra thought for the rear passenger with plenty of room and convenience – this one’s designed for those who employ a chauffeur, all right.

The current model series includes the:

• Audi A8 Long Wheelbase 4.2 FSI
• Audi A8 Long Wheelbase 3.0 TDI
• Audi A8 Long Wheelbase 4.2 TDI

For any more information on the Audi A8 Long Wheelbase, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Audi dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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