DESPITE THE EXPECTED absence of the 2011 Audi A8 at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Audi has released the first teaser image of its next-generation A8 saloon.
Resting beneath a black sheet that gives away little, the specifics of the A8’s design are well hidden. A hint of shape to the headlights is revealed courtesy of the LED daytime running lights glowing through the black sheet, while the outline of the grille is vaguely apparently as well.
Very little else has been seen of the next generation A8, and even the test mules spotted on the roads of Europe have worn the panels of the current generation D3 A8 as a disguise, albeit with widened flares and a stretched wheelbase.
Little is known about the A8’s styling, although the rendering below puts some visuals to the speculation that has followed the car since its announcement, and the new preview image adds some credence to the concept below.
A single-frame grille is expected, with the almost trademark daytime running lights running along the re-styled headlights. A coupe-like profile is also expected, inspired by the recently revealed A5 Sportback.
“The first generation was very dogmatic and product-design-like. With the second generation, the theme was ‘elegance’—softer, flowing lines. The upcoming third generation will be stronger, sharper, and more precise,” Audi’s chief designer Stefan Sielaff said of the next generation A8.
Sielaff said that the A8 will be “the first of a new styling language at Audi,” and this is most evident in the dramatic new headlight design.
The aluminium spaceframe body technology of the current A8 will carry over to the new model, which is expected to save some 150kg compared to a steel body and leading to a final kerb weight of between 1650-1900kg.
Power is expected to come from a number of engine options, including a 186kW 3.0 V6 TDI, a 216kW 3.0 litre V6 FSI, a 253 4.2 litre V8 TDI, a 277kW 4.2 litre V8 FSI, and 5.0 litre 462kW V10 FSI for the range-topping S8 model.
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