Uncompromising: The quality

Quality knows no compromise, and this philosophy was also applied to the interior design of the new A8 and A8 L. The combination of premium materials, their appearance and their feel are responsible for the handcrafted atmosphere on board the large sedan.

One special feature in the Audi A8 is the start-stop button on the center tunnel console. It is illuminated red from within, and the letters have been machined with extreme precision from the aluminum surface. The backs of the deluxe seats have inlays of fine wood. The edges of all the veneers are reworked by hand following machine milling.

All the veneer elements for one car are generally made from one root or one trunk so that the individual pieces have a uniform appearance with respect to shade and grain.

The selector lever of the eight-speed tiptronic is covered with either leather, wood veneer or carbon. An illuminated display for the driving program is embedded in the surface. All of the switches in the new Audi A8 move easily without play. The operating forces, sounds and travel have been precisely defined.

Many of the controls have a high-gloss black finish. Heavily used components are coated with a UV-cured topcoat that makes them extremely resistant to scratching. A coat of Cerapaint protects the aluminum sill strips against damage. The strips bear illuminated, model-specific logos in the A8 hybrid, the S8 and the A8 L W12. With all other variants, they are illuminated in combination with the ambient lighting.

Natural-looking and sustainable: The new Unicum leather
One of the highlights of the new Audi A8 is the Unicum leather, which is particularly natural-looking, breathable and soft. It has been tanned sustainably, with the tanning agents produced from central European leaves and herbs, thus placing a priority on resource conservation and a responsibility to nature. Natural features of the animal hide remain visible, and the leather is not sealed but rather treated only with a water-repellant protective coating. This natural surface emphasizes the leather as a natural product.

Unicum leather is emblematic of a new philosophy regarding the equipment and trim of the new A8. Luxury in this case means sustainability and authenticity – the emphasis on intentionally natural materials that have been carefully selected and processed. The seat upholstery comprises 110 individual pieces of leather that have been cut, placed and stitched by hand.

The concept behind the inlays also reflects this philosophy. The new wood application fine grain poplar brown silver naturally contains a lot of knots, which can fall out as the wood dries. A paste of silver pigments fills in the holes. This enables significantly larger amounts of veneer to be used – reflecting again the sustainable use of natural materials.
The wood decor fine grain ash natural gold brown is left naturally open-pored. Its surface feels rough to the touch for an unadulterated haptic experience.

The applications in the area of the instrument panel and doors of the A8 are made of two pieces. The bottom section of the standard inlay is high-gloss black, and the upper application surfaces are a new dark walnut. Besides the new veneers fine grain poplar brown silver and fine grain ash natural pearl gray, the range also includes Vavona wood assam gray, fine grain ash balsamico and piano finish black. The standard applications in the S8 are made of Carbon Atlas in combination with aluminum.

There is a choice of seven base colors for the interior: black, nutmeg, nougat brown, atlas beige, velvet beige, titanium gray and lunar silver (S8-specific). The upper section of the instrument panel and the top shoulders are available in black, steel gray or moor brown. The colors for the headlining, which is also available in Alcantara, are lunar silver, silk beige, black and snow white. There is also a wide range of materials available. The standard seats in the V6 models and the A8 hybrid are covered with black fabric, with Valcona leather available as an option. The comfort seats are available in Valette, Valcona or natural leather.

Audi offers two design selections in addition to the standard selections: Balao brown and sycamore gray. The design selection Balao brown combines rich, chocolate brown leather with inlays of open-pored, balsamico fine grain ash and silvery aluminum. A white Alcantara headlining and white contrast stitching provide accents. With the new Audi design selection sycamore gray, the full leather interior is immersed in gray tones accentuated with stitching and piping in pearl gold. The inlays are fine grain ash natural pearl gray with the pores washed with gold. The headlining here is also snow white Alcantara.

An exclusive design in black-Vermont brown is available for the S8. The climate-controlled sport seats in Vermont brown leather have dark contrast stitching, while the rest of the interior is black with color-matched brown accents on many of the leather-covered components. The application in the doors and the instrument panel is the new carbon twill with copper thread, a harmonious complement to the black and brown interior. Typical for the S models, the headlining is black Alcantara.

The Audi exclusive range offers many additional suggestions for leather upholstery/trim and wood applications.

The equipment, data and prices specified in this document refer to the model range offered in Germany. Subject to change without notice; errors and omissions excepted.