Heck of a car, with a most potent 4.2-liter, 300-h.p., 32-valve V-8 that doesn’t need much of an invitation to move quickly yet quietly when you press the pedal.
And still a 17 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway rating, thanks in part to the A8 being one of the most lightweight, aluminum-intensive cars on the road.
The 4.2 is teamed with a 5-speed automatic with Tiptronic, the clutchless manual that allows you to move through the gears by tapping the shift lever and not having to play with a foot pedal.
Quattro means all-wheel-drive, which means all-season motoring and the ability to move when the snow is deep and drive aggressively when the roads are clean and you find a desolate twisting road to play on. Pavement hugger. Sits flat without lean or sway.
Steering response is excellent– goes where you point it now.
Solid, roomy, comfy, though like any vehicle carrying the Audi nameplate, the suspension is a bit firm and a tad stiff for those who favor the cushy ride and handling of a luxury sedan.
Base price is $65,000. Standard equipment includes speed-sensitive power steering, four-wheel fully independent suspension, depowered front as well as side-impact air bags front and rear, antitheft alarm with interior motion sensors, headlight washers, front and rear fog lamps, dual power mirrors with defogging, leather upholstery, Bose sound system, dual-zone climate control, 14-way power seats (after about 10 ways we lose interest), power sunroof with a dial to set exact amount of opening/closing, power windows, CD player with trunk changer, cruise control and wiring for a phone.
The test car added 17-inch polished wheels for $1,000, a cold-weather package with heated seats and steering wheel plus inside expandable ski/storage sack for $1,000, warm-weather package with power rear and manual side shades and solar sunroof for $1,200, and an electronics package with automatic dimming outside mirrors, rear power seat head rests and xenon headlamps for $1,400. Add $500 for freight and the tab tops $73,000.
