EXCESS, GLORIOUS EXCESS!

Before one misunderstands the above, excess in the Maharaja class is a virtue rather than a vice as Adil Jal Darukhanawala found out after his first drive in the magnificent Audi A8. Mercedes S-class and BMW 7-series have their work cut out to excess all areas!

The top end of the prestige car game has always warranted attention, from those fortunate enough to own one or use one down to those who can only admire them at a distance or those who can read and lust about them but have no hope in hell of ever getting close to one in real life. It is precisely this set of situations which helps make news when a new S-class is launched or when the next generation 7-series gets rolling.

Popular misconception in India, and to be truthful also in some English-speaking lands, however masks what is the real picture. Sure the mighty S-class is mega in terms of techno-gadgetry and is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz range while the BMW 7-series is looked at as the one major rival in the mind to the S-class. Nothing wrong in this but the fact remains that there is a third player in this segment and it is the one which has been doing all the running and dare I say it, winning , as well in the prestige car segment in Europe. In fact, the Audi A8 has been consistently outselling its rivals from Stuttgart and Munich thanks to a clever combination of adopting high points from both its rivals and then adding its own infinite charms and craftsmanship to ensure a package which makes it desirable to be driven in and just as involving to get behind the wheel.

The new A8 is the third generation in the series which began with the version launched in 1998 with a V8 mill and driving all four wheels using Audi?s famed quattro drive. In fact, the Audi A8 broke new ground among luxury prestige cars for its all wheel drive capability and this it has held on through to this third generation A8 which saw the light of day early this year. Overall design wise there is not much to distinguish this car from its predecessor in layout and visual (or physical) proportions and in fact on certain counts it has been panned for carrying on the A4-A6 look onto the large flagship. Cue in to the rear tail lamp treatment and this line of thought gets substantiated. However the front end is something else and what was first revealed on the A7 Sportback concept has now manifested itself on the new A8. The black gloss finish coupled to that single-frame goatee-beard grille on the top line W12 engined model maybe distinctive enough but man those optional LED headlamps plus those LED daytime driving lights is pure Vorsprung durch Technik. So very Audi.