Open gallery 
by Hilton Holloway 16 January 2012 Follow @@autocar Share
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The journey to this third-generation Audi A8 began in 1988 with the Audi V8, the world’s first pure luxury all-wheel-drive saloon.
This unlovely and glacially slow-selling car was, bravely, replaced by a car boasting an aluminium spaceframe and body. The new A8 had looks and technology on its size, a combination that proved sufficiently powerful in the marketplace to ensure an eight-year model cycle, and it was replaced by the outgoing A8 in 2002.
The Audi A8 is one of the most understated cars in its classHilton HollowayAssociate editor
You need very little time in Audi’s latest A8 to confirm the scope of its ambition. Just as Audi itself is throwing model after model at the market in its drive to establish not just credibility amid its more established BMW and Mercedes rivals but something closer to superiority, so too can you detect a change of aspiration for its flagship.
If the original Audi A8 can now be seen as an admirable first effort and the second a plausible alternative to its opponents, the third has the looks, specification, technology and very demeanour that no longer meekly suggest it might be as good as a Mercedes Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but almost dare you to say it isn’t actually a damned sight better. Inglostadt’s hastiness to facelift the A8 in 2014, was done with sound rationale in mind, as Stuttgart giant Mercedes-Benz was readying its new Mercedes-Benz S-Class – which we now know is the benchmark for any car claiming luxury pretensions.
Most A8s will be seen on the chauffeur circuit with diesel badges on their boot, either a 3.0-litre V6 or Audi A8 4.2-litre V8. There is also can opt for the boombastic Audi S8, which comes with a 4.0-litre TFSI engin. Then there are either SE Executive, Sport or Black Edition trim levels and long or standard wheelbase models, while special trims are reserved for those opting for the W12 or S8 variants. Every version currently gets quattro four-wheel drive.
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To achieve its aims, this Audi A8 needed to avoid the trap that snared its predecessors; these were cars whose strongest suit was their styling, meaning you’d savoured the best of it before you set off. This A8 needs to be even better than it looks. Thinking about the current generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it needs to be good in all areas if it wants to snatch its crown or keep the technological brilliance of the BMW 7 Series at bay.
Verdict Model tested: Rating:
Audi A8 2010-2017
GoodEngine/transmission combinationsLooksHandling abilityBadRoad noiseRear spaceExpensive options