Audi's New A8 Flagship To Be Available In Showrooms This Summer

OMG look at that huge grill. Looks like a Lexus grill.....LOL!!

I know many will disagree but I kinda like the picture being shown. Sufficiently different features but still retain the main characteristic of the "flagship" car. It's noticeably distinct from its exiting model, much more so than the changes in the BMW's 7 for example.

I actually like this and hope Audi has the pants to do it.

The A8's autonomous driving capabilities will be far more advanced than the 7-Series and S-Class. This could be enough to increase the A8's global sales significantly. Add to that Audi's penchant for creating luxurious and high quality interiors and the basic framework is in place for a highly desirable and technologically advanced luxury sedan.

Audi better pick up its game, because their current A8 is not the pride of the fleet, and their current styling language (angular, sharply creased, and trapezoidal) does not say luxury, elegance, or status, which are all hallmarks for that vehicle class.

It appears to me that the idea of Audi taking on the Mercedes S-class is about as likely as Lexus's chances.

When the current A8 came out it was stunning at it's time. The interior design was way ahead of BMW and Merc. People love to knock Audi for design, they have always been trendsetters. I'm sure it will be stunning when it debuts. And when you look at the new E Class and 5 series out ( both boring ), I'm sure the new A6 will step out beyond as well...

What's in the past is in the past. Audi WAS trendsetter with interior design, but is no longer. Audi NEVER was a trendsetter for exterior design except for the now-trite oversized grille. Mercedes has the lead on interior design with every model above the A-class. Mercedes may even have the lead on exterior design as their cars are the only ones that appear to even change from generation to generation and they all look Tier 1. Lexus, with the LC and LS, may be seen as the new design trendsetters, though they will be polarizing.

"Trend Setters" ???

Nonsense - Unless you consider poor sales to be a trend! Audi has never produced a large Luxury car that looks the part - we continue to endure recycled styling among their vehicles that makes it really hard to tell what car class you have from a reasonable distance. And that is why they will be an also-ran. People don't like have their $80,000+ car being identified as an A3.

Numbers don't lie no matter what you say TomM. Audi has been doing something that no other auto making it doing... They keep selling more than the previous month. Everybody in Germany has the same issue with all models resembling lower models. It identifies the brand. If you don't like it don't put your name in the hat to buy it, it will still sell. They will still do more numbers than last month. The new one, this summer will outsell the last. Good luck with your hating...

@bw5011 Numbers in face DO lie.

Reporting the % of growth implies something that just isn't there. Every month this site trumpets that--yet again--Audi had a sales increase which gives the appearance that it is unstoppable, but the reality is that Audi needs a 50% VOLUME increase just to catch that of Mercedes.

Audi outsells Cadillac by a paltry amount and yet the perception here is that Cadillac is dead in the water and that Audi is a game changer.

Yes - BW5011 - Numbers don't lie - and virtually ALL of the increase in sales that Audi gets is from its small sports sedans and Suvs- the "Luxury car" segments barely sells cars - with Mercedes selling 4 to 5 TIMES the number of S-Class cars in the USA over the A8 - which barely sell. And the new one will not sell any better than that old one did. That is because AUDI is not a Full Fledged Luxury car manufacturer - they are a small sports sedan producer -and they are NOT PERCEIVED as a luxury alternative to the Sclass by most buyers. THe fact is - while many brands have similar characteristics - Mercedes has managed to make the difference between levels obvious - while Audi has not. AND thank you - I love my S600 - and Audi has nothing to compete with it.

Mercedes, Audi, does it really matter ?, you can argue for and against. I personally think Audi was more designed focused from at least 2000 onwards. Design is subjective. I like Audi, I hate Lexus, done. nothing more to say !

The new LS is going to steal the thunder.....

I would say a good looking evolution. My initial thought also, looks like moving in Toyota/Lexus design direction, though its difficult to credit true origins.

The A8 has always been the dull "Camry" of the 3 big German sedans. I don't see that changing. With the 7 Series being a total dud, the XJ looking like a hatchback, and the Maserati Qporte so painfully forgettable, Mercedes has won. The Lexus LS can easily makes sales gains. If people are not snobs, they will like the G90. Audi and BMW are in a styling malaise.

I disagree with most of you.
(a) The S-Class is nice and technically the 'best in the segment'. Boy, what a weak segment - so that is a dubious honor.
(b) The BMW 7-series is quite lackluster
(c) The Lexus LS is just old and the new one seems 'weird' perhaps?
(d) People might be looking for something, ANYTHING! fresh?
(e) thus, the new A8 will very likely exceed expectations and in fact, do very well!

People are forgetting that Audi's styling will matter very little if the new A8 offers the most advanced autonomous driving capabilities available on a street-legal car.

The Level III autonomous capabilities are far more advanced than Tesla's Autopilot feature and will place the A8 in a class of its own.

Combine that with a luxurious interior and Audi's heralded quality and you have the potential for a huge seller in the segment.

Hi, Sean Spicer. How are you?

Styling will matter A LOT. The 7 Series is rather technologically advanced and because of the dull styling, it's dead in the water.

The 7-Series will not be nearly advanced as the new A8. With the A8 a driver can have full automation at speeds up to 37 mph. That means acceleration, braking, turning, lane changing etc. are autonomous.

The 7-Series can't come close to that.

@GermanNut until the software is installed that is.