The epitome of luxury

Machines: the possibilities its seems, are endless – and if the all-new Audi A8 is an indication of what is to come, we can look to an extraordinary automotive future where the sky is the limit. 

The A8 is a tour de force. Bristling with innovation, it’s the most advanced, well-equipped and capable production car ever built. 

If anything, the fourth-generation flagship’s advances are almost too numerous to summarise. They include a range of powerful engines (with mild-hybrid technology; it can coast at up to 160km/h, emission free), flawless infotainment and voice recognition features, all-wheel steering and a raft of driver aids and safety systems. Most obvious, however, is the A8’s big-ticket claim: it’s the first production car ever produced that’s capable of Stage 3 automated driving. 

Over the past decade, automotive engineers have made great progress towards the ‘self-driving car’. Along the way, the industry has developed a classification system, from Stages 0 to 5, describing how much or little input is required of the human behind the wheel. As a precis, at Level 0, you do all the work; at 5, you are a passenger. Level 1 gives you minimal assistance (think traditional cruise control), while Level 2, currently available now on certain Audi models, will perform useful tasks such as staying in a lane, braking independently – both to maintain distance, and to avoid accidents – and maintaining speed. 

At Level 3, in certain circumstances the Audi A8 is capable of making decisions on its own. On roads where there’s a physical barrier separating the two directions of travel, the A8’s Level 3 system, the Audi AI traffic jam pilot, can handle driving in tra c at up to 60km/h. It assesses the world around it using a combination of LIDAR (think radar, but with pulsed light) and actual radar, a front-facing camera and ultrasonic sensors. It’s cutting edge technology, but in e ect, it feels mostly like wizardry. 

Unlike in Level 2, the driver needn’t actively monitor what’s happening outside; no hands hovering at the ready, no eyes on the road. The A8 can safely carry on while you’re not just distracted but entirely diverted: reading a book, or watching a film, typing a report; whatever you choose. 

The A8 won’t let you clamber into the back seat to nod off, mind; a camera will check to make sure the driver is ready to take the reins within 10 seconds if necessary. But the extra minutes and hours it potentially returns each day to whomever is behind the wheel – especially on long, traffic-heavy commutes – is perhaps Audi’s nest luxury provision yet. 

That computational autonomy extends to parking. 

The A8’s Audi AI (remote) parking pilot and Audi AI remote garage pilot are capable of independently slotting the A8 into parallel or perpendicular parking spaces – as well as up your driveway and into your garage – and, later, of driving the car back out, without so much as brushing your mower. 

And with each system able to be initiated using the myAudi smartphone app, the ‘driver’ need neither drive, nor actually be inside the car. It’s a bit like having a personal chauffeur. Who’s a ghost. 

(More problematic is the differing legal requirements in each territory where the A8 will be sold. The car is so ahead of its time that in many countries, the A8’s piloted driving abilities will be at least partly truncated until legislation allowing autonomy can catch up.) 

The Audi’s complementary and supplementary systems are equally mind boggling. Take the fully active, electromechanical Audi AI active suspension system, for example. While driving, it uses a powerful new 48-volt electrical system, and lasers, to map oncoming potholes and bumps. Then it reacts instantaneously, adjusts wheel height at each corner to provide tabletop at driving dynamics or cloud-like passenger comfort, as well as safety, depending on the driver’s attitude. 

Then when the A8 is stopped, the active suspension kicks fully into protection mode. A pre-sense 360-degree system remains vigilant to vehicles approaching from any angle – even if they’re speeding towards the A8 directly from the side. If the A8 senses an incoming collision at over 25km/h, the active suspension will raise the sedan body by 80mm on that side within half a second, directing the force of the accident into the chassis. Incredibly, in so doing, the impact on anybody inside is reduced by up to 50 percent – potentially turning a catastrophe into a merely frightening moment. 

It’s about the only situation where you can imagine the Audi A8’s cabin might become an unpleasant place to be. However briefly. Its opulence is extraordinary. That the A8 utilises a richly textured interior of wood, leather and metal is par for the course. New to this is the lavish cockpit’s merger of vast space and next-level science fiction wow-factor. 

Chief among these is a stunning new touchscreen operating concept. Eschewing most buttons and knobs for satisfyingly responsive haptic feedback, the system surrounds the driver with a trio of large screens. Incorporated into the central tunnel, dash and instrument panel, they provide ultimate utility and cool factor – as well as making the driver feel like Tony Stark in a command centre. And that’s not to mention the fully integrated screens in the rear; the two-tablet Rear Seat Entertainment system and a removable Rear Seat Remote – which also works as a phone. 

It’s easy to feel numbed by new tech. Here, from front to back, metal to leather, the A8 delivers on each of its promises at design stage – while engaging at every level. It’s a tour de force that’s the ultimate tourer, powered by technology that enhances without overwhelming. If the traffic is bad, the new A8 can drive while you read. If someone in a lesser set of wheels runs into you, even at speed, the A8 can save your life. If you decide to take the long way, to enjoy a few bends, the A8 can morph seamlessly from limousine to sportscar, and return the controls to you. 

The future has arrived – and it’s a wonderful place to behold.