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2018 Audi A8 Gets Chased by the New BMW M5 on the Nurburgring

Just look at it - the next generation of the Audi A8 is going to be massive! Are they trying to go after Cadillac or what? Anyway, we have one of the first videos where the A8 D5 is undergoing Nurburgring testing, and it's pretty exciting stuff.
2018 Audi A8 Gets Chased by the New BMW M5 on the Nurburgring 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
2018 Audi A8 Gets Chased by the New BMW M5 on the Nurburgring2018 Audi A8 Gets Chased by the New BMW M5 on the Nurburgring2018 Audi A8 Gets Chased by the New BMW M5 on the Nurburgring
Some of the camouflage is missing, but not enough to reveal something we haven't seen before. All big Audis will have a design that similar to the Prologue concept, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

To get a sense of how large the 2018 A8 is, just compare it to the BMW M5 prototype that at one point can be seen right behind it. You can tell that Audi is going back to long overhangs, which generates more interior space but creates that nose-heavy handling problem.

Part of the engine range of the new A8 has already been revealed by models like the A5 and Q5. We are talking about the upgraded 3.0 TDI with 286 PS and the single-turbo TFSI that replaced the supercharged V6 in the S4/S5.

We're still missing things like the twin-turbo TDI and of course the V8 powerhouses as well. We have every reason to believe that a 4.0-liter twin-turbo will still be used by the S8, especially since Audi and Porsche have collaborated on some new engines.

The A8 has about 20 years of history behind it, but this generation will look and feel like the biggest break with tradition. It should be the first Audi to have autonomous capabilities not to mention the interior won't look anything like what you might expect.

The MMI Touch Response infotainment system will cover the interior with capacitors and screens so there will be few buttons to press. There might even be a version that runs on hydrogen, although it will be built as a pilot program, not a mass-market car.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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