First, let's set out the stall of the Mk 1, D2-platform A8. The base model was a 172hp 2.8-litre V6 that was upgraded to a 30-valve unit (look for '5V' on the engine cover) with 190hp.

Sales of the A8 were a success in Europe, but for the D2 model they amounted to just a few thousand units per year in the U.S.—far from the levels that Audi currently enjoys.

Audi ’s all-new A8 is a rather demure piece of premium German metal, but if you wanted some added aggression for your large luxury saloon before the next S8 eventually shows its face, German ...

For 2010, Audi also offers the S8 high-performance version of the A8 with a 5.2-liter V-10 engine, rated at 450 horsepower and 398 foot-pounds of torque, and a starting price of $96,200.

25 years on from its first appearance, the A8 is still part of the Audi range. The two-tonne-plus fourth-gen 335hp 3.0-litre turbo V6 of 2019 is a good bit heavier than the early 1,750kg, 300hp 4. ...