(first posted 10/17/2016) Very unjustifiably, in the early 1990s Audi was almost completely shoved out of the U.S. market amidst false claims of unintended acceleration as a result of vehicle malfunction, and not driver error, as was actually the case. Reputation severely damaged, Audi just barely held on in the U.S., its sales volume having declined to less than 15,000 units in 1993.
Yet after licking its wounds for a few years, Audi slowly built itself back up, clawing its way back to prominence with a vengeance, with successful models such as the A4 and second generation A6, which arrived in North America late in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Least integral to Audi’s comeback, however, was its largest and most expensive model, the A8.
Introduced in 1994, though not arriving in North America until late-1996 as a 1997 model, the Audi A8 succeeded the 1988-1993 Audi V8 as the brand’s flagship luxury sedan. Whereas the Audi V8 was built on a stretched version of the Audi 5000/100/200’s C3 platform known as the D1, the Audi A8 was built on an all-new aluminum space frame monocoque platform known as the D2. Designed to significantly reduce weight (partially to compensate for the added weight of all-wheel drive) while maintaining structural rigidity, the A8 holds the distinction of being the first mass-produced car featuring an all-aluminum chassis.
With standard-wheelbase A8s riding on a 7-inch longer wheelbase, and overall dimensions being 6.8 inches longer, 2.6 inches wider, and 0.7 inches taller than the Audi V8, the A8 was a more appropriately-sized flagship, as it fit right between the E38 7-Series and W140 S-Class in terms of exterior dimensions. Long-wheelbase A8’s added 5 inches of wheelbase and length for truly limousine-line rear seat room.
Over the course of its run, the A8 was available in the two aforementioned wheelbases, choice of front- or Quattro all-wheel drive, and with one of six engines, depending on wheelbase and drive train configuration. Engine choices included four gasoline engines: 2.8L V6, 3.7L V8, 4.2L V8, and 6.0L W12; as well as two turbocharged direct injection diesels: 2.5L V6 and 3.3L V8.
Despite the wide range of possible configurations, North American consumers predictably had less freedom of choice when it came to the A8. Beginning with its introduction as a 1997 model through 1999, North Americans only had the choice of short-wheelbase A8s in either front-wheel drive 3.7L V8 (230 horsepower) form or Quattro 4.2L V8 (300 horsepower) form. The 4.2L (which gained 10 horsepower) and Quattro became standard in the U.S. for the model year 2000, and the long-wheelbase A8 was added, also only available in 4.2L Quattro guise.
2001 also marked the much-belated North American introduction of the high-performance S8. With a more powerful version of the 4.2L V8, making 360 horsepower and 317 lb-ft torque, under the hood, the S8 boasted 0-60 times of about 6.2 seconds. Offering standard Quattro, special front sports seats, and a few unique trim pieces, the A8 was offered a good combination of high performance and features for a far lesser price than similar-sized competitors.
From a luxury standpoint, the A8 certainly wasn’t lacking either, with numerous standard and available amenities to satisfy the average German full-size luxury car buyer. Lined in high quality leather, real wood trim, and electronic gizmos galore, the A8 presented its drivers with a top-notch interior and a very functional layout. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of this vertical seam leather seat design Audi used in its higher-end models during this period. It’s classy, and combined with the piping and dark burl wood, invokes a clubby, almost Jaguar or even Rolls-Royce-like vibe.
Predictably, most luxury equipment came standard, with three major option packages for this car’s 1999 model year available: Cold Weather (front and rear heated seats, ski bag), Warm Weather (power rear sunshade, manual rear side shades, solar sunroof), and Electronics (Xenon headlights, power rear headrests/lumbar support). The aforementioned solar sunroof was a novel feature, as it incorporated solar panels which powered the car’s fans when the vehicle was parked and not running to reduce interior temperature by up to 50%.
Rightfully so of a new flagship, the A8 ushered in a new era of design language for Audi. Ditching previous Audis’ sharper angles and wedge-shaped styling, the A8 boasted flowing lines and much rounder sheetmetal for a far more contemporary and upscale appearance. In fact, the only major styling trait carried over from previous Audi designs was its power bulge hood with integrated grille.
Still more conservative than groundbreaking, as almost always the case with Audi designs, the A8’s styling exuded a far greater degree of boldness and elegance than any prior Audi design. Uncharacteristic of most Audis, the A8’s low, wide stance gave it the defined muscular athleticism which the Audi V8 lacked. Equally uncommon for a sedan in the A8’s class, was its fast, coupe-like roofline — something that really gave it a sporting look. Personally, I see a lot of Mercedes-Benz C126 SEC rear end in it, and as a matter of fact, Audi did build an A8 coupe prototype which would’ve made an interesting SEC/CL competitor.
Yet as fetching as the A8’s design was, it had two major limitations: one being what it looked like, and the other being what it did not.
First, and fully North American market specific, was that the A8 didn’t go on sale until the 1997 model year. This meant that it appeared one year later than the entry-level A4, which borrowed heavily from the A8’s styling. Thereby, despite a role traditionally reserved for a flagship, it was the A4 to premier Audi’s new design language in North America, and not the flagship A8.
Secondly, and more importantly from a global perspective, was how the A8’s design compared to its prime competitors, the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S-Class, as well as other competitors such as the Lexus LS and Jaguar XJ. Versus these competitors, particularly its German ones, the Audi just didn’t have that wow factor to truly make it stand out verses the competition.
Furthermore, the bigger picture as far as it related to the A8’s success was in the very fact that it was an Audi, and not a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, therefore not having the same level of status. Notwithstanding this, the A8 was a very nice car all around, generally comparable to the 7 or S in terms of features (apart from some of their very high-end technology options), and a significant bargain. Yet Audi just didn’t have the same prominence as the other two German luxury brands in the minds of consumers, and the A8 just didn’t have that wow factor of its competitors, failing to bring anything new, noteworthy, nor exciting to the segment that mattered to these consumers. To some degree, think of it as the German Acura RL.
Subjectively speaking, this lack of prominence is something Audi has made strides to overcome in the present. However, 15-20 years ago, the brand was still digging itself out of the hole it was pushed into in the early-1990s, at least North American-speaking. Additionally, on a global scale, Audi was extending upwards into territory it had never ventured into before, resulting in its less-established, lack of presence in the segment when compared to BMW and M-B.
I don’t have any production figures from the 1990s to support this, but based on the last ten years of U.S. sales, I think it’s safe to say that the first generation Audi A8 was no record breaker, and did not top the 7-Series or S-Class in sales. Within the past 14 years, A8 sales have never topped 7,000 units in the U.S., whereas in any given year, 7-Series sales are about double the A8’s, and S-Class sales are anywhere from double to quadruple the A8’s.
Keep in mind this is all while Audi brand sales in the U.S. have increased at a consistent pace, and by a greater percentage increase than BMW and Mercedes. Of course, this is mainly attributed to sales of Audi’s smaller vehicles, namely the A3, A4, and Q5.
The first generation A8 showed us that Audi was ready to be taken seriously as a player in the luxury field. In the years since, nearly every other one of its vehicles below the A8 have managed to shake the “junior” status in comparison to BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and generally hold their own. The A8 however, has never truly been able to break through this barrier, suggesting that Audi’s ceiling is somewhat lower than that of the other two.
Regardless of whether this is due to the A8 at all lacking in they key areas of interior, technology, performance, styling, and/or general personality, Audi’s flagship largely remains stuck at the same line of scrimmage which has not moved since the 1990s.
Related Reading:
The Audi 5000 Unintended Acceleration Debacle (Automotive History)
My friend’s dad had one of these. The dash wiring blew and it burned to a crisp in his driveway.
!
Lucky him!
Friend had a ’99 A4. Due to a known design defect, the wiring harness near the engine melted and while the dealer tried to do their best to get it replaced under warranty, corporate said no and it cost him $2,000 to fix, about 4 years into the vehicle’s life.
He hasn’t had another Audi since.
Audi design hasn’t moved the needle much since the 90s. They seem to be doing well with the Q5 CUV but their sedans lack that certain something the original A4 had. I like the S5 Coupe though, it’s like a modern Thunderbird. And have always liked Audi interiors. The gray one above is the equal of any Mercedes or BMW from that time.
Acura’s answer to the Acura RL/latter-day Legend seems about right — a bunch of interesting features, but somehow kind of ignorable. When it launched, I had strong reservations about the aluminum structure, since Audi had to arrange for specific collision repair facilities to which damaged cars would be shipped; even if you had this kind of money, that sounds like a recipe for major hassles and a five-figure bill.
Incidentally, the solar-powered interior fan was a trick Mazda had previously offered on the Sentia/929. It always seemed like a really good idea that I’m surprised hasn’t gotten more play, given how common glass sunroofs are. It would be handy in coastal California — a lot of times in the summer, the ambient air temperature is tolerable, but solar heat gain any time the car is parked outside is ferocious. (I really miss having decent bronzed glass; my car’s windows have really poor solar control.)
The solar panel roof was also an option on the pre-2017 Prius; unsure if it’s available on the latest. We didn’t get this as we are cheapskates who usually garage it anyway. Also, we sometimes get hailstorms here.
The picture above that shows the father and mother swinging their little girl with their Audi, is meant to showcase the Audi but mom’s floral outfit immediately draws you away from the car. The Audi blends into the background and mom takes centerstage. You just can’t unsee that outfit.
IMHO a grossly overpriced piece of junk which has been littering European highways for twenty years.
I always found the styling of these quite attractive – conservative and elegant, but in a kind of muscular way. I cannot, however, imagine actually owning one. Every person I have ever known with an Audi has been badly abused by maintenance and repair costs as the car began to age. Ever single one.
Beautiful cars, but best appreciated by the occasional ride in one that lives in someone else’s driveway.
This is the best looking Audi Quattro. My only disappointment is that they weren’t available in the USA with a turbo diesel engine. In some countries, you could order a car with a diesel engine, or a turbo diesel engine should one want.
In the scary, paranormal type movie, The Mothman Prophesies, the Richard Gere character drives one,and it inexplicable conks out in the middle of a rural West Virginia
road at night. I laughed to myself and thought, well it’s an Audi. It starts right up later.
Then, a rural WV garage mechanic declines payment when he tells Gere he can’t find anything wrong with it. This scene in itself is a stretch, since it’s highly unlikely that Dillard at the gas station would even have a clue to go about working on an A8.
I was surprised Audi ever let loose with a font drive low output V8 in the USA in the nineties. Quattro was such a defining feature for Audi and front drive is just not appropriate for this level car. Lexus and infinity must have really been putting a lot of pricing pressure on Audi.
I was with one of my in-laws who was considering buying an Audi A6 or A8 in 2000, and she was annoyed that Audi wouldn’t allow ordering the cold weather and hot weather packages in the same car. Audi seemed to think that the southern U.S. was hot and the north was cold, and thus nobody would want both. They clearly didn’t do any time around Washington DC where the winters are well below freezing and the summer can approach or exceed a very humid 100F.
In the A6 (not sure about) you could specify either vertical or horizontal ribs in the seat upholstery, depending on which of three interior trim schemes you chose (and each of those had further color and upholstery choices).
Oh yes. I owned a C5 A6 (MY2000) with the Melange Metallic (tan or light brown) color, inside and out – that interior scheme was called “Ambiente”.
Beautiful car – both with interior and exterior. I believe the interior has a warmth that puts the BMW and Mercedes ones to shame. It’s also roomier than the BMW E39 (5-series) sedans.
Problem is of course, that it costed a bomb to service and maintain, and stuff was just breaking left and right even though I’m a fiend about regular maintenance.
An Audi was my first luxury car. I loved it. It was quick and reliable. I even liked that I got a free rental for just an oil change. Even if those oil changes were $200. After 100,000 miles it was time to upgrade, but I didn’t want to spend that kind of money again, so I found a nice Acura for about half the money.
Excellent write up of a car I was quite drawn to at the time. As Mercedes and BMW styling became more gaudy, I became more drawn to the Audi’s understated style. But yes, that modest little grille in front did not convey instant presence of a luxury car.
Postscript: The Tesla Model S outsold all of the competition (S-Class, 7-Series, A8 and LS) in the recent past by a large margin. And when I say all, I mean all of them together. No wonder the Germans are scrambling. The Tesla has totally shaken up the luxury sedan market in the US.
I didn’t know that about the Tesla. Do the sales numbers show whether new Model S owners were purchasing comparably priced luxury cars before? My perception is that Tesla has captured the interest of wealthy individuals who may not have been interested in expensive cars before.
I see the appeal of Tesla, but to me they’re really brought down by their interior quality. They don’t hold a candle to comparably priced European cars (especially the ones you have mentioned). I would find it difficult to switch from buying/driving high end Mercedes into a Model S, or to choose the Tesla when cross shopping, strictly based on interior quality. I get the impression that most Tesla sales are “Tesla or nothing” without objective comparison to comparable vehicles.
Can’t answer your first question. here’s the sales stats, from Bloomberg.
That’s pretty eye popping. I wonder what created the big jump in sales from 2015 to 2016. Surprising for a model that’s approaching 5 years old.
I am not familiar with the Tesla car but Tesla and it’s founder Elton Musk have been the feature of many articles in the financial press lately. Not good. I wonder about the longevity of the company.
Totally agree with you.
I think the Tesla is like the folks who bought color TVs in the early ’60s. There wasn’t many programs in color at that time but the owners had to have them.
My grandfather had one and Sunday night we had to watch Bonanza. I bitched like hell, I hated that show.
He told me to be quite. He did too BUT it was in COLOR!
Great write-up Brendan. I love the line that this is the “German Acura RL.” So competent, but so boring… Audi also did nothing to really identify the car as being so aluminum intensive and innovative–it just looked like a conservative Audi.
The A4/A8 styling timing in the U.S. also reminds me of Buick in the 1980s, when the 1985 N-Body Somerset Regal established the styling look that was then “scaled-up” for the 1986 Riviera. Never good for your flagship to look so much like one of your already familiar, cheaper models. I am not sure Audi has ever really recovered from that at the high end.
Still, I admire this car. It is handsomely styled, and the interior is stunning. Too bad that Audi design has now adopted a front facia that looks like the world’s largest BBQ grate–I miss the cleaner grille of this first A8.
+1 on the old school front end. If i could afford an 8, I’d get a fab shop to make a new front end with a ‘bumper’ that bisects the grate, replicating the prior appearance.
And ditch the Salvador Dali headlight flourish. Flourish someone else’s schnozzola.
Agreed that Audi design started losing my interest when they introduced their gimmicky, contrived “tombstone” grille motif, deviating away from their prior clean, rational, draftsmanlike design language and towards the same sorts of fussy, overwrought design as everyone else — and when everyone is shouting for attention, nobody gets heard above the din.
IMO if they wanted a more distinctive corporate face with more bling to indicate upscale status, they should have just enlarged the chrome Auto Union rings emblem in front to become the entire grille opening above the bumper.
Nice write up.
This model Audi had a glass automatic transmission that cost a fortune to repair.
That was usually the final nail in the coffin that sent a still beautiful car to the junkyard.
So thats what goes wrong Ive seen these for sale dirt cheap there had to be an Achilles heel somewhere, later Audis emit a death rattle from the bellhousing that sends them to auction or the junkyard but Id never heard much about this model.
Count me in as a fan, always was a fan of this A8. Being a bigger luxury car helps, but I always was liked the styling of this car. Some may call it boring, and I understand where they’re coming from, but one man’s boring is another man’s understated. This car definitely does understated well. Just too bad I could never muster up the same enthusiasm over most of Audi’s products. The successors of these cars don’t work all that well, the one that came after was more rounded off and otherwise pudgy looking, and the current one is let down by a gawkish front end with ridiculous angry eyes and a massive cheese grater grille.
Such a beautiful and muscularly understated car, and yet quite a disappointment to drive. In 1999 my dad replaced a 1997 MB e420 with a 1999 A8 Quattro. I was so excited, 300 horsepower! Aluminum frame! Tiptronic transmission!
When I went to florida to visit and got a chance to drive it, I was surprised that on the very first little s-turn leaving the development, the front tires squeeled. Major understeer. Then when I floored it, it felt far less powerful than the 275 hp Mercedes. The power blunting effects of unsprung weight and double the driveline components to turn. And when I sought to control the tiptronic transmission manually, it wouldn’t hold first gear to the redline, and would shift automatically anyway.
It turned out to be a great highway car, and fun to drive in its own way, but it was far less engaging or exciting than the e420.
Also, it apparently shared front brakes with the A4, which my dad found out when they had to replace the rotors under warranty after only 4,000 miles. I believe there was also a second warranty replacement of front rotors before the lease was out.
The first 2 A8 models look nice , then you look at the 3rd one and the headlights look droopy – just spoiled the entire thing
We bought a 2001 A8 as a CPO (used) car. We never felt it was inferior to the MB or BMW equivalents (and it was certainly more handsome than the w140 S-class). It was light on its feet, unstoppable in the snow, comfortable, and quiet.
And it was junk. Utter crap. The dealership was both incompetent and hostile.
Well, you know… the usual Audi story. Regarding the owner experience, there isn’t much left to say about these cars. It’s been over a decade, but it’s still therapeutic to vent.
I am rather apathetic when it comes to Audis since they were not very common in the Southern Tier when I was growing up. Occasionally I would see one decaying on a front lawn, being driven by a faithful owner, or maybe an Audi driven by a student going to Cornell which is where I had most of my sightings. These Audis are sharp looking vehicles and there are some around Portland, OR that interest me, but I usually do not give them a second thought.
I quite strenuously disagree that the Acura RL is an apt comparison. The first-gen RL, which would be the competitor in question here, is a car that manages to be both boring and unattractive. Ever since I first laid eyes on one, it was an utter disappointment as a follow-up to the crisply attractive Legend. Subsequent RL models lost the awkwardness and became somewhat handsome, but always in a “fade into the background” way. This A8, on the other hand, is a crisply elegant shape with almost perfect balance to my eyes. Does it jump out and accost you with its beauty? No, but it’s impossible to ignore. Maybe it’s because I’m something of a partisan of Audi styling going back to the early 80’s, but I think it was the equal of the E38 7-series in looks and far, far superior to the W140 Benz, which I’ve always found to look pudgy compared to the much sleeker W126. The interior fits the exterior–thoughtful, understated elegance.
Moving forward, the effect continues. The D3 A8 is absolutely striking (especially when fitted with the uncommon alloys of the car in your article photo) and is head and shoulders above the Bangle-ized 7-series or the melty W220 S-Klasse. Audi was absolutely on top of their styling game from the mid 90’s to the late 00’s. Admittedly they’ve to some degree lost the plot as of late (gorgeous A7 notwithstanding). The current A8 is handsome but no longer distinctive and the entire Audi line is suffering from a same-sausage-different-lengths problem. But I digress.
I’ve never driven one of these so I can’t weigh in there. And I’m all too aware of their problematic reputation, which scared me off buying an ’00 A6 2.7T back in 2006 and scared a friend of mine off buying an ’01 S8 just last year. (I really wanted to get some seat time in that…probably better for his wallet that he refrained, despite it being a cheap entry price…) And maybe in mission it suffered the same fate as the RL. But I think its design doesn’t, at least to me, fade into the background and shouldn’t be tarred with the same brush.
I was intrigued by the A8 and even more so by the S8 but their scarcity, in my part of the world, kept me from buying one. Good thing because since then I’ve also became aware of their notorious reliability issues. My “new” cars are usually 10 years old. I hate to think what it would cost to keep one of these A/S8 on the road at that age.
One of my neighbors is about to find out. Drove by while I was out walking the dog yesterday in his S8. Rolling coal like a diesel PU and hitting on maybe half the cylinders. Don’t know the year, but it has V10 badges on the fenders. All I could think was “this is gonna hurt.”
Excellent article as always, Brendan.
The graph of yearly sales is quite interesting. I see Audi continued the ascent when MB and BMW showed signs of slower growth. Of course we don’t see any effects of Dieselgate yet.
(Please fix the spelling of “Zigarre”)
So helpful with … Whereas the Audi V8 was built on a stretched version of the Audi 5000/100/200’s C3 platform known as the D1, the Audi A8 was built on an all-new aluminum space frame monocoque platform known as the D2 …
These are noted for the chronic and massive depreciation from which they suffer. They are incredibly complex and ridiculously expensive to fix when they break. Which means that once its first corporate owner, who is footing the bill for the exorbitant main dealer servicing and repairs gets rid of it, the value has tanked.
We find ourselves now at the point where you can pick a running one up for a grand or maybe less. This is good if you always fancied one but couldn’t afford it. It means when the first big expense comes (which it will) you can simply throw it away.
People who own ageing A8s find it easier and a lot cheaper to simply buy an additional A8 they can cannibalise for spares as required rather than buying new.
Well fast forward to 2022 and here in Austria there are still some about. Those (and the following model) seem to be like some 70s Mopar products in that if you got a dud, it was dreadful but a good one lasted for a very long time; A8s advertised for sale here have as a rule more than 250,000 Km on the clock and cars with almost 400,000 Km are also seen. Prices range from €5000 to €8000 – tellingly, the mileage does not in general have any demonstrable effect on the price asked.
So not so fragile as one would be lead to believe.