Pulling up to a house that looks like the cover of a design magazine's cover is probably normal for many Audi A8 drivers. However, leaving the car to park itself while you take your kid to bed isn't.
The official reveal of the all-new A8 is imminent, and the German automaker has just released a teaser that's as good as any car commercial. The underline theme is that the car of the future is already here, just like virtual reality, robot helpers, and electronic currencies.
We still remember reading about the all-new A8 many years ago. Before any prototype sightings, Audi claimed that its flagship sedan would be the spearhead of autonomy, a limousine that can do many thigs you can't be bothered with.
This is also one of the most daring teasers Audi has yet published, all but showing most of the key design elements, such as the steering wheel, dash, taillights, and front end design. Should the A8 be leaked, later on, we won't have much to talk about!
BMW unveiled a new 7 Series last year, and Mercedes-Benz announced a refreshed S-Class a couple of months ago. Audi, meanwhile, will pull the covers off its flagship on July 11 at the Audi Summit, an exhibition dedicated to "pioneering solutions for the urban mobility of tomorrow."
Besides Level 3 autonomous driving, the A8 will have a standard mild hybrid setup consisting of a 48-volt setup designed to capture, store and use brake energy. Whenever the car hits 12mph while slowing down, the engine automatically shuts down. Coasting can also be achieved for up to 40 seconds between speeds of about 35 and 100 mph. Stop-start systems are unpleasantly laggy sometimes, but the belt-driven alternator and starter on the Audi will be able to kick-start whatever V6 you buy much faster.
Unlike a regular hybrid drive which mostly has to be tied to the gearbox, this mild hybrid is like an accessory. So after the A6 and A7, we suspect all but the smallest of Audis to get it. But when will they be able to park by themselves?
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. Full profile
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