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Audi A8
The Audi A8 is a large
luxury automobile built by Audi to replace
the V8 model as their flagship offering. Although
the Volkswagen Phaeton, long wheelbase Jaguar
XJ8 and Lexus LS 430 compete in the same size
and price category as the A8, the Mercedes-Benz
S-Class and BMW 7 Series are often thought
to be its primary rivals. On most versions,
Quattro all-wheel-drive is standard.
The A8 debuted in Europe
as a 1994 model, although it wasn't until
1997 that it became available in North America.
Unlike the V8 model which was built on an
existing steel platform, the A8 debuted on
Audi's then-new D2 platform, an all aluminum
"Space Frame" which helped to significantly
reduce unsprung weight without being any less
rigid. A second generation version of the
A8 became available worldwide in 2003, now
riding on an upgraded D3 platform.
In
addition to being the world's first car
built on an entirely aluminum platform,
updates to the car in 1997 included the
addition of six interior airbags, making
the A8 the first vehicle to be so equipped.
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