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High End Luxury Cars

24685 messages,  Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 4:40 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan



Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.

A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.

Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.



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#15833 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [stevekilburn] by reality2
May 26, 2006 (7:01 pm)
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Replying to: stevekilburn (May 25, 2006 7:51 pm)

Latest reports state that the next generation A8 will have a V12 Diesel and a base V10 FSI. The next A8 will be released in 2009 and is increasing in size and complexity as is the trend. Should continue the A8s evolution as a great luxury tourer.
#15834 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [reality2] by blkhemi
May 27, 2006 (5:59 am)
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Replying to: reality2 (May 26, 2006 7:01 pm)

There are two conflicting reports surrounding the new engines to be placed in the new for '09 A8. One report says that Ingolstadt has scrapped the V-12 racing-derived diesel in lieu of the easier to maintain V-10 TDI. Then there is one that says that they'll use a variant of the racing diesel in the next A8.
 
Yes the next A8 will move up even more in size(which is definetely not lacking now), and will prove to be one of the most sophisticated cars in it's class. There's even talks of a super-high luxury variant to push the envelope to 200k. Surely this will be a super-low volume model, but it will have the goodies to back it up, mainly the 600-hp plus twin-turbo FSI V-10. Audi is still the only manufacturer to use turbo on a direct injected engine. Wonder how long that'll last?
 
I'm most interested in the 450-hp V-8 version because as it looks, it'll be the most powerful player in it's class(base engines of course). Audi has also revamped Quattro so that the cars will have a RWD-biased power development. Also the cars will have much shorter front over hangs as the platforms switches to a sort of Nissan-like front-midship engine design, meaning the engines will sit behind the axle line, for better handling and weight distribution.
 
As most of you can tell, I'm probably the biggest Audi nut on this forum. I believed Volkswagen/Audi last month when they said that they know that they've left North America out in the cold regarding the A8 and will rectify the situation this go round. They have to in order to stay competitive. In Europe, the A8 is often the first or second best selling car, so it's likely that they'll definetely advertise a lot more here. And Audi does have this uncanny ability to introduce the flagship in a model year when no other car in it's class is about to be released, hence the '09 release, just like '04.
 
Judging from my W-12, which is probably the best kept secret in the biz, Audi is not a joke. The company has to do a better here in North America with this car. The A3/A4/A6 and heck even the Q7 will sell themselves, but when dealing with a customer that's about to plop 70-80 large on a car, you must know what the customer is wanting in a car. The current A8 has it, but there has been a huge communications breakdown here that has inhibited Audi's share of the pot. Hopefully this will change soon.
#15835 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [blkhemi] by garyh1
May 27, 2006 (9:06 am)
Reply

Replying to: blkhemi (May 27, 2006 5:59 am)

The company has to do a better here in North America with this car. The A3/A4/A6 and heck even the Q7 will sell themselves, but when dealing with a customer that's about to plop 70-80 large on a car, you must know what the customer is wanting in a car. The current A8 has it, but there has been a huge communications breakdown here that has inhibited Audi's share of the pot. Hopefully this will change soon.
 
And we can always hope that by the '09 model year, Audi will have given up on that "wide-mouth bass" front end, or at least figured out how to make it better fit in with the rest of the car's design. That kept me personally from even considering the car the last time.
#15836 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [garyh1] by houdini1
May 27, 2006 (9:57 am)
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Replying to: garyh1 (May 27, 2006 9:06 am)

I have to agree Gary. That big gaping black hole for a grill just turns me off of a car that I was pretty fond of before. Does anyone really like this grill?
#15837 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [houdini1] by blkhemi
May 27, 2006 (11:09 am)
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Replying to: houdini1 (May 27, 2006 9:57 am)

That's one of my major gripes with the outside design of the car. But the car's overall design is so well laid out that it becomes one of those things you just put up with, as crazy as that sounds. But it does make the car stand out, for good or bad. Sketch glipses of the '09 show more of a modern R8 looking front end, which is a good thing.
#15838 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [houdini1] by lexusguy
May 27, 2006 (11:29 am)
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Replying to: houdini1 (May 27, 2006 9:57 am)

I think the "Auto Union" face works on some of Audi's cars, and not so much on others. I've seen a few jet-black Audi A3s on the road, they are slick looking cars.
 
On the bigger cars though, I think its just too much. Slap some wings on the new A6 Avant, and it would look like an old MiG fighter jet.
#15839 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [garyh1] by tagman
May 27, 2006 (12:16 pm)
Reply

Replying to: garyh1 (May 27, 2006 9:06 am)

And we can always hope that by the '09 model year, Audi will have given up on that "wide-mouth bass" front end, or at least figured out how to make it better fit in with the rest of the car's design. That kept me personally from even considering the car the last time.
 
Is it my imagination, or has VW also adopted this look?
 
TagMan
#15840 of 24685
Re: diesel-hybrids and Audi LeMans [tagman] by blkhemi
May 27, 2006 (6:16 pm)
Reply

Replying to: tagman (May 27, 2006 12:16 pm)

Yes the latest gen Jetta's and Golf's have adopted the look also. But it is to a lesser extent. The Jetta's face isn't so wide-mouthed as an A4 for instance.
 
VW and Audi will tell you that the grilles are more of a need than a want. They said that it was easy to convert to the new Euro pedestrian safety measurements and also give teh cars a "face-lift" at the same time.
 
All of the cars would prabably look good with the grille if it wasn't dressed in 40lbs of bling-chrome. Body-colored w/ black mesh(as on the Jetta GLI and Golf GTI) grilles look very good on these cars. Strangely enough, the V-Dubs have more chrome than the Audis. My W-12 has a thin strip of chrome around the grille and also where the front license plate(mid section of the grille) goes which is good enough.
#15841 of 24685
New A8 vs 7 vs S video by lexusguy
May 28, 2006 (4:10 am)
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Interesting comparison test. I don't think any of the major US publications has done a comparison test with the new S yet, right?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLbdK3S37sw&eurl=
#15842 of 24685
Re: New A8 vs 7 vs S video [lexusguy] by blkhemi
May 28, 2006 (1:41 pm)
Reply

Replying to: lexusguy (May 28, 2006 4:10 am)

Very interesting video. The BMW trails both for handling? The Audi the most unsafe and the better handler of the 3? And the new Mercedes interior is better than Audi? For sure this must've been a biased comparo.
 
It is nice to see how the 6-cylinder versions of these cars operate.
 
BTW: All of these cars must have Euro-spec suspension as the narrator said they all rode quite firm. I know the home market models have firmer suspensions than the America-bound models as I've driven all three cars and found them quite supple, even the sportiest of the model offerings(A8 Sport, 760i Sport, and the S65 AMG)

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