Confirmed: The new Audi A8 will see the light of day in 2017

Today an important annual shareholders’ meeting took place at the headquarters of the brand with the four rings, in Ingolstadt. According to Motor1, Audi’s CEO, Rupert Stadler, announced that the next-generation Audi A8 will be launched in 2017.

The next generation, which will already be the fourth, is said by Audi to be the first series-production car capable of driving by itself, that is, with several autonomous driving functions.

Through a system that collects a huge amount of data about everything happening around it, the luxury F-segment saloon will be able to guide itself at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. The German brand from Ingolstadt states that it will probably manage to put a fully autonomous car on the road in 2025, although it does not guarantee that this date will be met.

The current generation of the Audi A8, the third, was launched in 2010 and was developed on the MLB platform. The next A8 will use an update of that platform, namely the MLB Evo. This could mean a significant weight reduction of around 200 kilos, which will noticeably improve the handling of Germany’s flagship.

Although no engines have been confirmed, it is practically certain that a variant will arrive using the 600-horsepower 12-cylinder W12 engine that can be fitted to the new Bentley Bentaya. In the Bentley SUV it can propel the vehicle up to 301 km/h, so the Audi A8 should exceed that barrier fairly easily if its speed is not limited. We recall that this is not the first time the Audi A8 has used an engine with this curious cylinder layout.

If one thing is clear, it is that when it arrives next year, the Audi A8 will not arrive with empty pockets. As in previous generations, it is expected to be a car loaded with the latest technology and, in many cases, a pioneer in this area, with the elegant, serious design that any flagship saloon deserves, as well as a luxurious interior. We can practically guarantee that normal and long-wheelbase versions will be available, along with a range of powertrains including diesel, petrol and hybrid engines.

Source | Motor1