Audi V8
Audi V8 Quattro
The Audi V8 (Typ 4C ) is the first luxury-class vehicle, the Audi AG and was produced by the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1994. He was also the first luxury sedan world with standard permanent all-wheel drive.
The Audi V8 was based on the Audi 100 Type 44/200 Type 44 and was until 1994 produced a total of approximately 21,000 times.
The internal plant code was D11. Initially, the vehicle should carry the designation Audi 300, which was however renamed before the start of production in the Audi V8.
General
With the Audi V8 and its extended version ( V8L ), Audi tried to establish a superior class in automobiles.
Because of a failed model, however, the policy was not until the successor of the Audi V8, the Audi A8. The Audi V8 was far below the projected sales figures. There were several reasons: firstly, the similarity to the "smaller" models was 100/200 can not be overlooked, even though it is technically acted to maintain a substantial redesign, the successor to the Audi 100 was on the other shortly after the presentation of the Audi V8 on which it was based, - the Audi 100 C4 in 1990.
In addition, the V8 was initially only available with a high-quality equipment, the leather seats, automatic climate control, automatic transmission and many other equipment details included. He was thus around 30 % more expensive than comparable models based competitors such as the S -Class from Mercedes -Benz or BMW 7-Series BMW.
The time still missing image of the Audi brand, particularly in the luxury segment, certainly played a major role. This were not a lot of buyers from the intended target group willing to spend much more money for a car with less image value. A certain initial advantage was that the V8 was all-wheel drive, the only time offered vehicle of the upper class.
Motor
The Audi V8 was offered exclusively with an eight -cylinder engine with 32 valves and four overhead camshafts. A selective knock sensors and a Motronic served the motor controller. The engine itself was made entirely of aluminum, had a displacement of 3.6 liters ( 3562 cc ) and provided 184 kW ( 250 hp) at 5800 rpm. The maximum torque of the engine from 340 Nm to 4000 1/min at.
From model year 1992, a more powerful eight-cylinder engine with 4.2 liter ( 4172 cc ) and an output of 206 kW (280 hp) at 5800 rpm was available as an alternative. The maximum torque of the engine is 400 Nm at 4000 rpm. The 4.2- liter engine offered despite the relatively small performance difference noticeably improved performance. The disadvantages of this engine are mainly the high fuel consumption of about two liters per 100 km more compared to the 3.6 - liter engine and a slightly lower refinement.
Body
The body was, as was customary even at Audi, fully galvanized.
It was based on the series of the Audi 100/200 Type 44, but has been fundamentally changed. At the front of all parts including headlights, hood, bumper and fenders were redesigned.
The front fender were issued to accommodate the wider track width can. The rear doors and the rear bumper has been adapted and also changed. The tail lamps have been entirely red dyed in a novel at the time, method, for example, while still lit up the orange turn signals.
In addition to the basic version of the Audi V8 offered also in a delay of 30 cm version. This long-wheelbase version was produced at Steyr- Daimler -Puch in Graz in a quantity of 271 vehicles.
A single piece was a 1989 station wagon ( Avant) converted V8, which remained in the possession of Ursula Piech, wife of former Audi chairman Ferdinand Piëch. The car is now in the museum mobile in Ingolstadt.
Gear / drive
The Audi V8 was the first German luxury class cars, which was offered with a permanent all-wheel drive and four-speed automatic transmission. In addition to the automatic transmission and the quattro all-wheel drive system worked perfectly by itself.
The engine power is automatically distributed proportionally among the axes according to their grip, without the driver needing manual intervention, such as the switching of differential locks make. This is ensured by an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, which can lock the center differential, and a Torsen differential on the rear axle.
In normal operation, the engine power is transmitted in a 50:50 ratio to the front and rear axle. Under difficult conditions, the electronic control activates the longitudinal lock, which in extreme cases can flow 100 % of the torque on an axis.
Due to customer requests in early 1990 was also offered a five-speed manual transmission, which was replaced in model year 1992 with the introduction of the 4.2- liter engine with a six-speed transmission. However, most of the customers ordered to continue the automatic transmission, which is why vehicles with manual transmission are extremely rare to find today. The vehicles with manual transmission have a Torsen center differential, in contrast to vehicles with automatic transmission. At the rear, a Torsen differential is also installed.
Specifications
According to the operating instructions:
Values in brackets apply to automatic
Registered vehicles
(Number of vehicles including temporarily decommissioned on 1 January )
Sale prices
With the launch of the Audi V8 3.6 cost DM 98,700, the long version of DM 155,000 A short time later a version was introduced with a lower standard equipment, the original base model received the additional title "Exclusive". In January 1990, the following models were available:
- Basic Model: 84950-88250 DM
- Exclusive: 102,000 DM
- Long version V8L: 155,000 DM
Motorsport
With the V8 quattro DTM Audi was engaged from 1990 to mid-season in 1992 in the German Touring Car Championship. Hans -Joachim Stuck and Frank Biela in 1990 they could win in 1991.
Since 2003 is Derichs race car a customized for motorsports 1992- V8 eV on the Nürburgring 24 - hour race. The vehicle has the 4.2- liter V8 engine, 3- speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive and makes about 300 hp.
Others
Despite many mechanical and electronic innovations of the Audi V8 is still considered quite reliable. In duration test reports of various car magazines over 100,000 kilometers the vehicle cut his time mostly with minor defects and failures without a relatively high ranking.
However, it must be considered that any repairs due to the small number of pieces built can bring immense costs. The current stock of vehicles in Germany is well over 2000 pieces. Spare parts are around on the used market rare and expensive, but also new parts are increasingly difficult to obtain unless the activities are simple wear parts, since they account for an increasing number of brand new spare parts for older series in recent years with the spare part policy of Audi. The prices remaining new but also used parts move sometimes far above the usual upper class levels.
Shortly after the presentation of the Audi V8 already complained many journals, the high prices of spare parts. In the early 1990s the cost of a new engine $ 20,000 (the price of a new VW Golf ), an automatic transmission 13,000 DM, and for a set of front brake discs 1500 DM were included brake pads required.
Probably for this reason are now most remaining copies of the V8 in lover or collector hands.