The A8 probably wouldn’t be your first choice to weave through orange cones.  It’s limousine-long and wide, and even with the use of the Audi Space Frame—the car’s body panels are hung on an aluminium frame, as on hand-built sports cars—it weighs nearly 2 tons.  But behind the wheel, it’s an amazingly nimble car.  Set the car’s air suspension to dynamic via the MMI controller and you’re all set.

The second exercise involved some wet sideways action.  This time, an A6 4.2 quattro and water-soaked concrete provided the ingredients.  The objective was to enter a sweeping bend that tightens up as you go along, and to control the car using steering, brakes and throttle. 

The trick here was that Mr. Klagger had earlier pulled out the fuses for the Electronic Stabilization Program, ABS and traction control—no electronic aids then.  I gunned the throttle and entered the cones.  The car starts sliding a third of the way through, and I prod the accelerator as I twist the steering.  Particularly with the ABS and ESP switched off, quattro proved its worth here, pulling us forward out of disaster, where a rear- or front-wheel drive car would end up mowing down the cones—or in the daisies, if this had been a real road.

The third and the most fun part was weaving through a twisty road course, with a slalom section at the end.  The A6, with its electronic aids now restored, was in its element, thanks to its point-and-shoot nature.  Its heavily-bolstered leather seats fit perfectly.  The A8 held its own as its immense torque powered it through the bends.

Good against the cones is one thing; good against the real world is another.  Still, the quattro experience helps drivers gain basic knowledge that will help them deal with emergency maneuvers.  “No matter how good a driver you are, you will return home a better one after experiencing Audi’s training program,” is their summation.

There’s no mistaking the new Audi face, and behind the wheel there’s no mistaking the feel of quattro four-wheel drive and its contribution to driving safety and fun.  The day was worth it: worth driving for, worth braking for, worth going sideways for.

A8 may look like a typical large sedan, but under the hood is a 6.0-liter W12--made of two narrow angle V6 engines mended together.
Though smooth and quiet, the A8 can accelerate like a Porsche thanks to 450 horsepower available on tap.
The A6 4.2 V8 proves to be a good companion on the slalom track.  German instructors allowed us to go all out.  There are no sissies here.

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