The A8 L W12 rides on the 121-inch wheelbase and is powered by the 450-hp W12 engine. It comes with ultra-luxury amenities, including front and rear park assist; power sunshades for the rear windows; power-adjustable rear seats; leather upholstery on the door panels, console and dashboard; rear dual-zone automatic climate control; massaging and ventilated front seats; Alcantara interior trim; wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel; rearview camera; keyless access and starting; door-closing assist; power trunklid; trunk pass-through with a ski sack; and P255/40HR19 tires. The A8 L W12 also comes standard with a full-length rear-seat center console, housing elaborate climate controls and seat adjustments, plus a dual-screen entertainment system; this limits seating capacity to four, though the rear center console can be deleted at no cost in favor of a three-place bench seat.
The S8 rides on the standard 115.9-inch wheelbase, and features a high-performance 5.2-liter V10 rated at 450 hp. The air suspension is firmer, the brakes are larger and the steering is quicker. Extra bright trim and 20-inch wheels with P265/35R20 tires contribute to a distinctive look outside; while inside are sport seats upholstered in two-tone leather, darker wood or carbon fiber trim with aluminum accents, and white-on-gray italic gauge faces.
Option packages for the A8 and A8 L include a Sport Package ($4,300) with firmer suspension settings, 20-inch wheels with P265/35R20 summer performance or all-season tires, and a multi-function leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles. A 14-speaker, 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system custom-tailored to the Audi's interior acoustics ($6,300) is available.
Options for the A8 and A8L include adaptive cruise control ($2,100), which uses radar to maintain a prescribed distance from traffic ahead; four-spoke wood and leather multifunction steering wheel with wood shift knob ($690); a solar-powered sunroof panel ($790) that blows cooling air through the car while it is parked (and replaces the standard glass sunroof); front seat massage and ventilation ($1,500); rear-seat electric lumbar adjustment ($350); 19-inch wheels with P255/40R19 all-season tires ($1,900); and, for the A8 L only, a personal refrigerator ($1,500) in the trunk accessible through the rear-seat armrest.
A8 L W12 options are limited to the adaptive cruise control, solar roof panel, four-spoke multi-function steering wheel ($200), Bang & Olufsen stereo, refrigerator, full-leather upgrade ($3,900), and 20-inch wheels with P265/35R20 tires ($3,200).
Most of the stand-alone luxury options offered on the standard-wheelbase A8 are available on the S8 for the same prices. Carbon-fiber interior trim ($550) is available.
Safety features on all A8 models includes 10 air bags, including dual front airbags, front and rear side airbags, curtain side airbags, and front knee airbags. In a crash, computers quickly determine which dual-threshold, dual-stage air bags to deploy, how quickly to deploy them, and how intensely they should be deployed. Also standard are antilock 4-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, traction control, electronic stability control, front-seat active head restraints, and a tire-pressure monitor. A Technology Package ($3,600) adds Audi Side Assist and Audi Lane Assist. Next Page