- by Brian Byrne
Audi A8 gets strong Irish interest
14 February 2003: Audi dealers in Ireland who handle the flagship A8 model have committed to taking 70 units of the latest version of the luxury car during 2003. Which means there are at least 70 strong expressions of interest out there for the new car.
And 35 would-be customers even took up an Audi offer to fly out and try out the car in Berlin before it arrived in this country - at their own expense.
If the 70 customers materialise - and there's no reason to think they won't, because car dealers don't order E100,000 cars just for the sake of having them on the forecourt - the new car will totally out-perform the whole life of its predecessor in Ireland just the one year.
With Audi sales in Ireland now running at record levels - they went up almost 40 percent in 2002, largely thanks to the excellent response to the current A4 - Audi sales manager John Hayes has high expectations for the new A8.
"We see the new car presenting formidable opposition to its rivals at the upper end of the luxury segment - a fact reflected in the level of orders which we currently have on hand," he said today.
Initially, there are two models in the new A8 range, both powered by V8 engines - a 3.7 litre, 280 bhp model at E97,300 with a 0-60mph acceleration figure of 7.3secs, and a 4.2 litre, 335 bhp version at E105,900 which delivers an even more impressive 0-60mph figure of 6.3secs.
The style of the new car gives it much more presence on the road, and includes a new frontal design with short body overhangs and a highly contoured rear end. Like its predecessor (of which over 100,000 models were built since its introduction in 1994), the new A8 has an aluminium body which employs Audi’s own pioneering Space Frame technology, and there's a 60 percent improvement in body rigidity.
Other items standard in market introduction versions include quattro permanent four-wheel drive, 6-speed tiptronic gearshift with dynamic shift program and an adaptive air suspension system with continuously variable damper settings.
Other details as standard include ESP (electronic stability programme), ABS (anti lock braking), EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ASR (traction/ stability control) and EDL (electronic differential lock).
There's also a new high-performance braking system with electromechanical parking brake, cruise control, individual climate control air conditioning, anti theft alarm and immobiliser. Optional items include radar assisted distance control. automatic tyre pressure monitoring, innovative adaptive lighting technology with cornering light, and advanced key access and authorisation system with a one-touch memory system.
©2003 irishcar.com