Audi A8
So the story of the upper class began at Audi. From the initial conception in 1994 until today three generations of the Audi A8 were produced in total. 20 years development and technological progress are the basis for a vehicle of the upper class, the distinct accents in the competition. In addition to the luxury vehicles from Mercedes- Benz and BMW, the Audi A8 presented today impressively elegant and with optimal technical equipment. In 1979, the car manufacturer Audi in Ingolstadt with the Audi 200, the first car that got a right to be counted in the superclass. Followed in 1983, a luxury version. Both vehicles were based on the Audi 100 C2. Five years later, the Audi V8, the actual predecessor of today's Audi A8 was presented to the public. Many technology components for this vehicle was later found in the VW Phaeton.Although it was a re-design of this car, the similarities with the Audi 100 were still being felt. The interior roominess and ride comfort were not yet so advanced that Audi with this vehicle could actually compete with the luxury class. One notable successes achieved was, but the competitors Mercedes-Benz and BMW clearly inferior yet. With a more sporty overall design and technical features that have not been offered the competitors, in 1994 reshuffled the cards in the automotive world with the first version of the Audi A8. Audi brought the A8 cars on the market that occurred in direct competition with the S - Class from Mercedes and the BMW 7 Series by. Two basic components ensured the success of the Audi A8: It was equipped with the four-wheel drive " quattro " and had the world's first production vehicle in the luxury class, a body made ​​of aluminum.As base engine acted a 2.8-liter gasoline engine with six cylinders. Popular with the buyers of new cars from Audi was the 8 - cylinder engine with 4.2 liter displacement. With the first 2.5 TDI diesel engine with 150 PS the massive car was clearly underpowered. This engine was replaced by a 180 hp engine in the year 2000th Since then, Audi is considered a trendsetter for large diesel engines in the luxury class.