Visually, there is little to distinguish the 3.7-litre Audi A8 from its bigger brother, the 4.2-litre The truly luxurious four-wheel drive, 4.2-litre V8 quattro develops a healthy 220kW of power and 400Nm of torque The sports sedan S8 pumps out 254kW of power and 409Nm of torque, thanks to some mild tweaking of the efficient 4.2-litre V8 A five-speed Tiptronic gearbox is standard The Audi A8 uses a super strong aluminium space frame Aluminium is easier to recycle than steel, uses less energy and is more valuable as scrap, which encourages recycling Because of the space frame body, panels can be riveted on and glued into place The A8 3.7 is about 450kg lighter than its similarly specified rivals, which also lowers fuel consumption The A8 uses a sophisticated four-link front suspension The 3.7-litre V8 is a slightly modified, short-stroke version of the 4.2-litre V8 engine On the base 3.7-litre, the aluminium cross flow cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder and the rotary-slide variable intake manifold have been adopted from the 4.2-litre engine All A8s are fitted with an electronic differential lock and traction control system The traction control system ensures maximum traction when pulling away in slippery conditions The 3.7 A8 accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 8.7 seconds and has a top speed of 247km/h The car is fitted with burr walnut inlays on the dashboard, doors and centre console The air-conditioning system has a sunlight intensity control that accurately regulates the operation of the heating or cooling cycles An auto check control allows the driver to check all fluid levels from the driver's seat.

Apart from its usual features, the on-board computer reminds the driver to take a break every two hours