2011 Audi A8 revealed amidst the stars at Design Miami 2009

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Filed under: Sedan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/), Audi (http://www.autoblog.com/category/audi/), Celebrities (http://www.autoblog.com/category/celebrities/), Design/Style (http://www.autoblog.com/category/design-style/), Luxury (http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/)

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/audi-a8-live-miami_-(3)_opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/)2011 Audi A8 - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've just returned from the Audi A8 (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/a8) world premiere here at Miami's star-studded Design Week, and we've got a slew of images of the new range-topping sedan. More evolutionary than revolutionary in style, the new wundersedan is nevertheless an impressive looking piece with the charisma to go toe-to-toe with the celebrities that filed in to fawn over its broad shoulders.

Despite the clear heritage link to the outgoing model, there are a number of new technologies under the skin that represent firsts for the brand, including full LED headlamps that adjust their direction and throw based on the navigation system, a new development of MMI that includes a handwriting recognition feature, and an updated 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine with more power (372 horses) and an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox. Despite being more powerful, the A8 is also more fuel efficient, with a claimed improvement of 15 percent with the aforementioned gas V8.

The slippery new shell once again rests on the brand's Aluminum Space Frame (ASF), and Audi says the car is longer and wider than its competitors yet sits lower. The sleek new bodywork is good for a .26 coefficient of drag. When it comes to America late next year, the new A8 will arrive in both standard and extended-wheelbase models, and we have it on good authority that both TDI and hybrid variants will also come to the States - although the alternative fuel powertrains aren't likely to happen right away. While you're waiting, check out our high-res galleries below as well as the official press release. We're working on uploading video of the new A8 as well, so check back soon.


Gallery: 2011 Audi A8: Live from Miami (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/low/)

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/audi-a8-live-miami_-(3)_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/audi-a8-live-miami_-(1)_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/audi-a8-live-miami_-(4)_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/audi-a8-live-miami_-(2)_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/audi-a8-live-miami_-(5)_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8-live-from-miami-1/low/)

Gallery: 2011 Audi A8 (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8/low/)

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011audia8000_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011audia8001_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011audia8002_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011audia8003_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011audia8004_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-audi-a8/low/)

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Audi]Continue reading 2011 Audi A8 revealed amidst the stars at Design Miami 2009 (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/2011-audi-a8-unveiled-in-miami/)

2011 Audi A8 revealed amidst the stars at Design Miami 2009 (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/2011-audi-a8-unveiled-in-miami/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).



Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/2011-audi-a8-unveiled-in-miami/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19259126/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/2011-audi-a8-unveiled-in-miami/#comments)

[lemming]

brand new 7 is better looking.

and i never thought i'd write that re: a8 vs. 7 series.

[JST]

brand new 7 is better looking.

and i never thought i'd write that re: a8 vs. 7 series.

It looks a lot like the new A4. That's too bad, because the new A4 isn't exactly a looker. And the old A8 was one of my favorite understated luxury cars.

[stuka]

It looks a lot like the new A4. That's too bad, because the new A4 isn't exactly a looker. And the old A8 was one of my favorite understated luxury cars.

and hugely expensive to insure with that AL body that most shops aren't certified to work on.:lol:

[Jeff_DML]

agree, previous a8 was sort of boring but in a good way, new one just looks like a enlarged a4.

[JST]

Stuka, I hadn't thought about the insurance/repair issue, but this one has the same problem. A good reason to pick up a used Phaeton, I suppose.

[stuka]

Stuka, I hadn't thought about the insurance/repair issue, but this one has the same problem. A good reason to pick up a used Phaeton, I suppose.

Things could have changed by now. My bodyshop/claim adjuster peeps info is a few years old. I just know that back then, an A8 repair was a pain in the ass and require special process, kind of like how you used to have to ship damaged Z8 back to Spartanburg for repair.

The A8 is a very lovely car. Too bad no manual conversion option is available like the E38 740...

[clyde]

Things could have changed by now. My bodyshop/claim adjuster peeps info is a few years old. I just know that back then, an A8 repair was a pain in the ass and require special process, kind of like how you used to have to ship damaged Z8 back to Spartanburg for repair.


The other portion of that insurance equation is how often they need to be repaired...and how often it's the insured's carrier that has to pick up the cost. I don't know what insurance rates on the outoging A8 were/are, but the big luxury cars are often stupid cheap (relatively) to insure because the cars aren't involved in many wrecks, much less where their drivers are at fault and aren't stolen very often either.

Just as an anecdotal example (that is so far out of date, I probably shouldn't bring it up), the same coverage on my Q45 was only about 1/4 what it was on the Civic Si it replaced.

[lupinsea]

My boss has an S8 (nice car, we use it to cruise out to job sites often). I remember when he bought it that apparently he was told that if it needed any body repair work the closes certified AL shop was down in San Francisco . . . 800+ miles from where we are up here in Seattle.

Things may have changed since then, though.

The car has about the same milage as our ZHP (~104,000) and so far the only issues he's had was a broken button on the radio (covered under a warranty way back when) and a leaky CV book on a front driveshaft that cost a whopping $250 to fix. Not bad.

[JST]

My boss has an S8 (nice car, we use it to cruise out to job sites often). I remember when he bought it that apparently he was told that if it needed any body repair work the closes certified AL shop was down in San Francisco . . . 800+ miles from where we are up here in Seattle.

Things may have changed since then, though.

The car has about the same milage as our ZHP (~104,000) and so far the only issues he's had was a broken button on the radio (covered under a warranty way back when) and a leaky CV book on a front driveshaft that cost a whopping $250 to fix. Not bad.

I don't know how many shops there are, but the local shop where I've taken more of my cars than I care to admit apparently is; I noticed they had an A8 sitting out front just the other day.

I saw one of those S8s pull up next to me the other week and thought to myself, self, if you ever become a plutocrat who cannot be bothered with changing his own gears and need a lot of rear seat room, that's clearly the car to get.

The new one, with the runny LED mascara? Not so much.

[equ]

While I like the looks of the a4 (ok, well, it could be a little shorter), this looks derivative. Perhaps it will be better in the flesh... In any case, plutocrats go for the interior view. They never see the outside.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/cars/image_popup/newgallery2.php?postid=23083&gallerynum=1&defimage=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos.leftlanenews.com%2Fph otos%2Fimageresizeronfly%2FphpThumb.php%3Fsrc%3D%2 Fphotos%2Fcontent%2Fseptember2009%2Faudi-a8-39.jpg%26w%3D900

Somehow could not post the pic.