Audi V8

Audi
Audi V8 Quattro
V8 / V8 L (type D11 / 4C)
Production period:	1988-1994
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.6-4.2 liters (184-206 kW)
Length:	4871-5190 mm
Width:	1814 mm
Height:	1420 mm
Wheelbase :	2703-3020 mm
Empty weight :	1710-1770 kg
successor	Audi A8

The Audi V8 (type 4C) is the first luxury class vehicle from Audi AG and was produced from autumn 1988 to spring 1994. It was also the first luxury sedan with permanent all-wheel drive as standard .

The Audi V8 was based on the Audi 100 C3 / Audi 200 C3 and was produced a total of around 21,000 times by 1994 (according to information from Audi, a total of 21,565 units including the V8 long).

The factory code was D11 . Initially, the vehicle was supposed to be called the Audi 300 , but was renamed the Audi V8 before production began.

Model history

General

Rear view

With the Audi V8 and its long version (V8 L, manufactured by Steyr), Audi tried to establish itself in the luxury class from 1988. Unlike the previous top model, the Audi 200, the Audi V8 was equipped with a newly developed eight-cylinder unit. However, the Audi V8 fell short of the forecast sales figures. There were several reasons for this: On the one hand, the similarity to the "smaller" 100/200 models could not be overlooked, although technically it was largely redesigned. On the other hand, shortly after the presentation of the Audi V8, the successor model of the Audi 100 was presented - the Audi 100 C4 from 1990. This made the V8 look out of date, because it had just been derived from the now superseded C3 platform.

The V8 was initially only offered with high-quality equipment, including leather seats , automatic air conditioning and automatic transmission . It was around 30% more expensive than comparable basic models from the competition such as the S-Class from Mercedes-Benz or the 7- series from BMW .

The then still lower prestige of the Audi brand, especially in the luxury class, certainly played a major role in Audi's tough start in the luxury segment. As a result, not many buyers from the intended target group were willing to spend significantly more money on a car with less image value. A certain starting advantage, however, was that the V8 was the only luxury-class vehicle with all-wheel drive. Only in the next generation did Audi fully catch up with the BMW 7 Series and S-Class.

body

As usual at Audi, the body was fully galvanized . It was based on the Audi 100/200 Type 44 series, but was fundamentally changed. All parts of the front including headlights , bonnet , bumper and fenders have been redesigned. In fact, despite the seemingly great similarity with the smaller models, over 90 percent of the body parts are specific to the V8.

The front fenders were issued because of the wider track. The rear doors and the rear bumper have been adapted and also changed. The taillights were colored completely red in a new process, with the indicators still glowing orange.

Audi also offered the V8 in a version that was 30 cm longer, which Steyr-Daimler-Puch produced in Graz . The long version was built in a number of 271 vehicles.

A one-off was a V8 converted into a station wagon (Avant) in 1989, which remained in the possession of Ursula Piëch , the wife of the then Audi CEO Ferdinand Piëch . The car is now in the museum mobile in Ingolstadt.

• 

  Audi V8 US version

• 

  Audi V8 US version (rear view)

• 

  Audi V8 L (long version)

• 

  interior

Engines

The Audi V8 was only offered with an eight-cylinder engine with 32 valves and four overhead camshafts . The engine with a displacement of 3.6 liters (3562 cm³) develops 184  kW (250  hp ) at 5800 rpm. The maximum torque of 340 Nm is available at 4000 rpm. A Motronic with selective knock sensors regulates the ignition point and the fuel injection. The engine block and cylinder heads are made of aluminum .

From the 1992 model year, a more powerful eight-cylinder engine with 4.2 liters (4172 cm³) and an output of 206 kW (280 hp) at 5800 rpm was offered as an alternative. The maximum torque of the engine is 400 Nm at 4000 rpm. The 4.2 liter engine offers noticeably better performance despite the relatively small difference in performance. Its main disadvantages are the higher fuel consumption compared to the 3.6-liter engine and a somewhat poorer smoothness.

Gearbox and drive

The Audi V8 was the first German luxury class car to be offered with permanent all-wheel drive and a four-speed automatic transmission. Both the automatic transmission and the quattro all-wheel drive system operate completely automatically.

The engine power is automatically distributed proportionally to the axles according to their grip , without the driver having to intervene, such as switching on differential locks . This is ensured by an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch that can lock the central differential , as well as a Torsen locking differential on the rear axle.

In normal operation, the engine power is transferred to the front and rear axles in a 50:50 ratio. Under difficult conditions, the electronic control activates the longitudinal lock, which means that up to 100% of the torque can flow to an axle.

In response to customer requests, a five-speed manual transmission was also offered at the beginning of 1990, which was replaced by a six-speed transmission in the 1992 model year with the introduction of the 4.2-liter engine. However, the majority of customers continued to order the automatic transmission, which is why vehicles with manual transmissions are extremely rare today. In contrast to vehicles with automatic transmissions, vehicles with manual transmission have a Torsen center differential. A Torsen differential is also installed on the rear axle.

landing gear

The front wheels are suspended from MacPherson struts and wishbones, while a double wishbone axle is installed at the rear . On the V8, a unique brake design was used on the front axle and only used on this vehicle and the Audi 200 with the 20-valve turbo engine, which had internally encompassed brake discs, which are known in automotive vernacular as the "UFO brake" due to their appearance. The brake caliper grips the brake disc from the inside; the connection between the brake disc and the wheel hub consists of a steel bowl construction that looks like a UFO. Audi called the design "HP" which stands for "High Performance". This construction results in a larger friction surface of the brake disc in relation to the rim diameter than is possible with conventional disc brakes. Repairs and maintenance on this construction are very complex and therefore expensive. A conversion to the conventional brake system of the Audi 200 turbo or the successor design "HP-2" is possible and was also carried out on many V8s.

Sales prices

Audi V8 long version

When the Audi V8 was launched, it cost 3.6 98,700 DM, the long version 155,000 DM. A short time later, a version with less standard equipment was presented; the original basic model was given the additional designation “Exclusive”. In January 1990 the following models were available:

• Basic model: DM 84,950–88,250
• Exclusive: 102,000 DM
• Long version V8L: 155,000 DM

Technical specifications

_{according to the operating instructions:}

	Audi V8 3.6	Audi V8 4.2	Audi V8 4.2 long
construction time	1988-1994	1992-1994	1992-1994
Cylinders / valves	8/32
Bore × stroke	81 x 86.4 mm	84.5 × 93 mm
Displacement	3562 cc	4172 cc
Output kW (PS) at 1 / min	184 (250) at 5800	206 (280) at 5800
Torque Nm at 1 / min	340 at 4000	400 at 4000
transmission	5-speed manual transmission / from 1992 6-speed manual transmission / (4-speed automatic)	6-speed manual transmission / (4-speed automatic)
drive	All-wheel drive permanently
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	7.9 s (9.2 s)	6.8 (7.7 s)	7.0 (7.9 s)
Top speed	244 km / h (235 km / h)	249 km / h (249 km / h)
Fuel consumption at 90 km / h	8.7 (8.9) l / 100 km	8.9 (9.2) l / 100 km
Fuel consumption at 120 km / h	10.5 (10.9) l / 100 km	10.7 (11.0) l / 100 km
City cycle fuel consumption	17.5 (17.1) l / 100 km	17.8 (17.5) l / 100 km
Empty weight	1710 kg	1710 kg	1770 kg
Tank capacity	80 liters

_{Values ​​in brackets apply to automatic}

Motorsport

→ Main article : Audi V8 quattro DTM

Audi V8 quattro DTM of the 1992 season by Frank Biela

With the V8 quattro DTM, Audi was involved in the German Touring Car Championship from 1990 to the middle of the 1992 season . Hans-Joachim Stuck won it in 1990 and Frank Biela in 1991.

Since 2003 Derichs Rennwagen eV has been using a 1992 V8 adapted for motorsport in the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring . The vehicle has the 4.2-liter V8 engine, the 4-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive and has an output of around 300 hp.

Others

Despite many mechanical and electronic innovations , the Audi V8 is still considered to be quite reliable today. In long-term test reports from various car magazines over 100,000 km, the vehicle performed above average with minor defects and no failures.

However, it must be taken into account that repairs can result in immense costs due to the small number of units built. The current vehicle stock in Germany is a good 2000 units. As a result, spare parts are rare and expensive on the used market, but new parts are also becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, unless they are purely wearing parts, as Audi's spare parts policy in recent years has meant that more and more brand-new spare parts for older series have been eliminated. The prices of remaining new as well as used spare parts are in some cases far above the usual upper-class level.

Shortly after the presentation of the Audi V8, many trade magazines criticized the high prices for spare parts. In the early 1990s, a new engine cost 20,000 DM (the price of a new VW Golf), an automatic transmission 13,000 DM, and a set of front brake discs including brake pads cost 1500 DM, which is due to the very unusual and complex design of the brake discs.

This is probably one of the reasons why most of the remaining V8s are now in the hands of enthusiasts or collectors.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.traumautoarchiv.de/html/1680.html
2. ↑ http://www.traumautoarchiv.de/html/4259.html
3. ↑ Maik Fassbender: Technology. In: www.AudiV8.com. March 26, 2003, accessed May 23, 2016 . 
4. ↑ Operating Instructions (PDF; 9.0 MB)

Broadcast reports

• Christoph Bauer: Revolutionary: Audi V8 , DW-TV - "Motor mobil " August 21, 2017 (YouTube)

Web links

Commons : Audi V8  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Internet presence of Audi V8 prospects and enthusiasts
• Autobild used car test
• Original Audi V8 commercial from Audi AG
• Youngtimer-blog.de about the Audi V8