18 Apr 01
But then, an S8 is a rapid machine too. So, what's the point of the W12 apart from the kudos of the badge? The pleasure of that wall of torque, mainly, which you can amplify by snicking down a gear using the five-speed Tiptronic shifter or the steering-wheel buttons. A new feature here is that if you're in Drive, you can still manually select gears via those buttons, and the system reverts to Drive after 10 seconds. But it's too easy to brush the buttons inadvertently with your hands during a normal steering movement. And, though massively muscular, this isn't the smoothest of 12-cylinder engines.
The W12 also loses some of the agility that has made the A8's light(ish) all-aluminium construction worth the complexity and expense. It feels heavy, with steering that's slow to respond around the straight-ahead and weighty on lock, and you're aware of occupying a lot of road space. The short-chassis version could well feel handier, and it does ride smoothly for a car on 245/45 ZR18 tyres. Its brakes - borrowed from the RS4 and a massive 360 mm across at the front - are indomitable, too.
Expect to see versions of the W12, without the dry sump, in the upcoming Volkswagen D1 luxury car and, later, the so-called mid-size Bentley. Meanwhile, don't feel too miffed that the A8 isn't for UK consumption.
