AUDI1880

Call me curious. According to MotorTrend magazine the 2017 A8 offers a 6.3L W12 twelve cylinder option, but on the Audi USA website there is no sign of this beast.

LexusLSguy

I would not be surprised if it is or will be discontinued. The days of natural aspiration are dwindling.

MP4.2+6.0

The rumors of its passing are greatly exaggerated...

Yes, the W12 may have been discontinued for D4. Same thing happened in final short year run for D3, where only the 4.2 V8 was available. But, Audi has already announced the next generation of W12 motors--all the way back to the Vienna Motor Symposium in May 2015. As in, think turbos. Actually, not that novel there since the Bentleys have been blown for years. Only they move like another ton of lard over the not light D4's to begin with.

See:
Also remember, the German Chancellor's official ride is...a D4 W12 (used to be D3). Armoured version of course.

Maybe more a question for D5 actually is what is going on with the other motors? That is, it is actually the W12 that has a known prior showing and related press release. Variously, we know:

• the 3.0 supercharged is being phased out in favor of the turbo version, including on newest USA introductions
• that apparently the 4.0T (or V8 that is ) is coming out of the next generation of the C body (S6, S7), save maybe the RS, and that Porsche is in supposed charge of V8's going forward.

A guess is:

• no V8 in the A8 any more, with a turbo V6 (maybe a couple of tune choices??), and the W12.
• an S8 with a V8 TBD, and
• pretty obviously some electric flavor, likely PHEV tuned more to performance side as well as pure electric showcase type car. This might be the higher performance A8 V6 flavor, akin to how Porsche slots it in Cayenne or Panamera.

LexusLSguy

The new LS500 is finally going forced induction with a twin turbo 3.5 V6 that does 60 in 4.5 seconds. The NA V8 in the new LC500 is suppose to be a joy to drive. Don't get me wrong, NA engines definitely last longer and I have been driving NA V8's for a while now. They just can't offer power to size anywhere close to a forced induction engine. Everyone is making them smaller and with turbo.

https://youtu.bex/VHw-uuKzdBs

MP4.2+6.0

Yes, but... Having owned and driven one for ten years, it still feels like a very solid ride and performer. Nothing like 6L of right here, right now torque way down low. No debates about reduced lag from in V turbos and exactly how much there is or not, etc. Put the current 8 speed into play instead of my 6 speed, and yet better. Finally 2015 W12's got COD--a really nice set up and more advanced than V8 since it alternates cylinders too--that hopefully reduces the fuel ecomony curse.

Given the bottom falls out of them price wise at mid life, a very special and unique used ride for some. Apparently very few around or sold though--a lot fewer than the already uncommon D3 W12 was. As an empty nester, it was time to go back to a SWB set up, but I could have ended up with one instead. 90% of them are black on black though, and probably 80 to 90% are four seaters, which makes the intersection with my spec like 1%--in a car sold in lower volume than a lot of exotics.

TeamHate

Correct, they are no longer producing an A8 6.3 for the D4 generation. You can buy a used 2012-2016, but production has stopped. Since the D5 is coming very soon.

As MP4.2 said above^^^ the W12 is far from extinct. It's shrinking down to 6.0 liters again with two big snails on it. 600+HP and a tsunami of TQ. This is CONFIRMED. The Bentayga that uses this block is insanely rapid... and the scary part is that the D5 A8 6.0t will be around 800lbs lighter!

The thing is going to be an animal. It will kill the competition, and even cause hierarchical tension within it's own lineup.... It's going to be an interesting battle with the S8

All I know, is I can't wait to see it!

absent

As said above, it's coming with the Bentayga engine but detuned a little bit, expected mid 500HP and similar torque to Bentley.
New S8 with same power as current S8 Plus.

Twglasgow

PhillyVance

Did you ask this question in the Mercedes forum? You really dont need to troll here. We are good to go.