MP4.2+6.0

Witholding big picture judgment in general since there seems to be...oh so little real technical information out there so far. A few preliminaries:

1. Good practical question in one of the replies. What the heck is going on...w/ the trunk?The #1 complaint body wise at D4 intro. You would think they might mention it somewhere? But since everyone involved with that D4 decision is still doing time in the Gulag, maybe no institutional memory?

2. Look carefully at that active suspension animation. Oops, same old upper control arm design buried in there if you check it out. Great, automated for bumps, and pork is weight yet higher per prior preliminary release. A set up with big bucks potential costly alignments, and still the same 20 year old mid life D2 upper arm crap borrowed from a mid 90's A4 to begin with? Funny how that didn't get into marketing hype.

Sorry, two strikes. Gotta clean up the old stuff before you tell me about "new and improved" and class leading, and breakthrough and all the other marketing hype superlatives.

And yes, while at it, where the heck is the technical info????????????????????? What motors, what balance of specs, what release schedule, etc.

TeamHate

Dear MP,

As far as I know, this is the engine/model plan layout:

- A8 3.0T (335hp)
- A8 3.0Tdi (267 HP) (EU only)
- A8 4.0T (460hp)
- A8 4.0Tdi ( ~400hp) (EU only)
- A8 6.0T (Unknown, probably 600hp+)

Baloo588

I LOVE the interior and a bit lukewarm on the exterior. It looks aggressive in the front but the rear end is getting me a bit on the fence as it looks too bland and soft but I am going to wait to see more real life photos of it. I learned that pictures dont do justice for new models. Overall the level of technology and advancement on this new A8 puts my D4 to shame.

Baloo588

The more pictures from the real reveal shows me how nice and chiseled this new D5 looks. I think it will look great in person. I dont think the pictures from Audi do much justice of the exterior. I dont understand why they decided to use that red color for the A8...

Ngerstman

I personally really like the way it looks, an evolution over d4 design but a bit sleeker. Also like the look of the interior, always a fan of a good touch screen setup but the devil is in the details. I would hope they didn't do away with the diamond stitched seats of the d4s, one of the uber luxury signature features of the last model. As for all the mechanical specs and how it all performs we'll have to see. Unfortunately we all have to remember Audi/Volkswagen has that little $15 billion emissions issue to deal with which no doubt diverted attention and resources away from where they should have gone! So it goes. Still great cars. Regards. Ned.

Asiparks

I've had a D2, a D3 and a D4...not sure that a D5 is on the cards, the interior looks nice, but the exterior, well, definitely more Mustang than 4 door Prologue.

Not impressed with trick exterior lighting, looks more like it belongs on a Kia Soul...

MP4.2+6.0

Interesting you mention Kia. The neat rear lighting trick will probably be on every Kia and Hyundai in 18 months, given how all the other Audi lighting innovation and style plays have gone. USA launch is delayed enough that Kia and Hyundai might get here first.

TeamHate

To me the D5 has a lot of elements and lines that remind more of the D3 than the D4, that's a GOOD thing!

You are right that the pictures don't do any justice.

Also, I LOVE the Red/Burgundy shades that they put on this car. It will take it away from the monotony of the D4 color choices (personal opinion).

The Dark Cherry/Burgundy Pearl effect on that W12 looks quite sexy at the end of this vid ;D

Even Spidey likes it.

L0U

There is absolutely nothing and no angle that I like on this car vs. The last version. Face lifted d4 made slight improvements vs d4 I think.

I'm sure inside is where all the real improvements are. Shame it's lost its prescense from the outside. A very stretched A4. With hints of North American lines all over it. A 50k sedan, not a 120k sedan. Visually.

Edit...nope, inside its brutalized too. Q7. I like the instrument panel, doors, and seats. Back seat area is fine. Front dash and centre console.....a mess of finger prints on shiny black starkness.

landjb4u

S8 rumoured to get porshe engine