All-New, Tech-Filled Audi A8 Coming to America

Audi has unveiled its new flagship sedan called the A8 at Miami design week. The new sedan is set to come to America in 2010 and sources cited by Autoblog claim that the sedan will also be offered in TDI and hybrid versions.

The standard version of the A8 has a 4.2-liter FSI V8 with 372 horses mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox. The V8 engine is more powerful than the engine in the previous version of the A8, but Audi manage to improve fuel efficiency despite additional power. Audi claims that the fuel efficiency of the new engine is 15% higher than the previous V8.

The 8-speed Tiptronic transmission is complemented by full-time all wheel drive tuned for more power to the rear wheels. The A8 is a large vehicle measuring in at 16.85 feet long with a wheelbase of 9.82 feet. The car is 6.39 feet wide and 4.79 feet in height. The vehicle can also be equipped with radar sensors that work with the optional adaptive cruise control to change the speed of the car when in traffic.

Audi uses full LED headlights on the A8 and the lights change their throw and direction based on cues from the navigation system inside the car. The new A8 also has an improved MMI navigation and recognizes handwriting.

The LED lights consist of 22 white and 22 yellow LEDs combined with a surface reflector. The color temperature of the lights is 5,500 Kelvin allowing the light produced to resemble daylight making for less eye fatigue. The low beam LED lights consume only 40 watts each when in use.

Audi’s Rupert Stadler said in a statement, “The new Audi A8 is the sportiest sedan in its segment. It combines numerous functions in a new and intelligent way. And it’s unmatched in the stylistic elements and impression of the interior.”

The new Audi A8’s adaptive cruise control system can even be used in traffic with a special stop & go feature that will reduce the speed of the car all the way to a stop when in traffic. Data is received from 27 different control units to let the system know exactly where the car is located to make the system function.