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2005 Audi A8 and A8L Premium Full-Size Sedan

New Car Overview of the 2005 Audi A8 and A8L Premium Full-Size Sedan

New Car Overview of the 2005 Audi A8 and A8L Premium Full-Size Sedan

Description: Premium Full-Size Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $66,590 - $69,900
Invoice Price Range: $62,274 - $65,352
Where built: Germany

Audi's large-car A8 series -- cast on a unitized space frame structure composed of lightweight aluminum, then fitted with sophisticated mechanical systems and extravagant luxuries -- now comes in two different lengths for the wheelbase.

The A8L debuted last year riding on a stretched wheelbase fully ten feet long with more than sufficient legroom for passengers in the rear seat.

This year, a new variation, dubbed simply as A8, also appears with the wheelbase pared slightly, and five inches trimmed from the overall length.

Both A8 and A8L stock the same powertrain, an aluminum 4.2-liter, V8 pumping 335-hp through a ZF six-speed electronic automatic transmission with Tiptronic manual shift mode. Both also contain Audi's quattro AWD equipment, plus computerized anti-lock brake system (ABS) and an electronic stabilization program (ESP) to prevent wheels from skidding laterally.

Later in the year the A8L 6.0 will emerge as Audi's top car. Expect it to pack a remarkable W-shaped, 12-cylinder engine displacing 6.0-liters and producing 450-hp through a six-speed Tiptronic automatic.