Discreet Luxury

MANILA, Philippines - It’s funny how things simply fall your way every so often. Take for example the case of PGA Cars. The local importer and distributor of Audi and Porsche cars is getting some pretty substantial publicity via the unsolicited noise made by the acquisition of a used model by the most unlikely of accidental endorsers – the President of the Republic himself. All this right smack in the middle of the staging of perhaps the most discreet of model introductions ever. Either way, PGA Cars is hitting a grand slam by making it to the consciousness of their very picky, very targeted audience.

In the middle of all the Porsche talk late last week, PGA Cars invited The Philippine STAR, through this writer, to a very exclusive sneak peek at their latest and by far most rare Audi offering – the new A8. As no other broadsheet has yet to see the car in the metal, so to speak, what we have here is yet another exclusive look at a car that has yet to be actually released into the Philippine market. The single unit that is in the country is making its rounds – straight to the handful of would-be buyers... because in reality, the A8 isn’t scheduled for actual delivery until March. Think of this a a pre-selling exercise – one only a very exclusive few are privy to. So get ready for another exclusive, dear reader. And remember... you’ll read it here first.

First, the exterior. The now familiar gaping maw that is fast becoming Audi’s trademark is even more pronounced in the new A8. There is not even a strikethrough bar to house what would be the car’s front plate number. In lieu, we’re told that the A8 will have adjustable brackets built to fit any plate number size. Quite ingenious, we’d wager. Then there is the LED combination headlamp cluster that now even houses the car’s foglamps. At once menacing and intimidating, it marries form and function with great success as the car’s front end can simply be described as inspired engineering. To wit... because of the space saved in integrating the foglamps in the headlamp cluster, in the area that would have traditionally housed the foglamps, a speed sensing adaptive cruise control assist unit is placed.

Moving on to the car’s character lines, one could argue that they are clean and discreet – akin to the way PGA Cars has been making this car’s presence felt, in fact. There’s nothing obtrusive or uniquely controversial about the A8’s lines. They flow seamlessly from one end of the car to the other. The slightly pronounced shoulder is a bit more noticeable than in smaller Audi variants and the tapering off to the car’s handsome taillamps is just as aesthetically sound.

Inside, the attention to detail is simply ridiculous. Rich, Valcona leather trims abound, the air conditioning is four-zone capable, there’s a panoramic glass roof for the 4.2 FSI quattro variant, and an option for a rear entertainment console also for the 4.2 FSI quattro variant (which would effectively make the car a 4-seater), plus the new Audi music interface system is now a lot more user-friendly. The said entertainment system is TV and DVD capable, has a multi-CD function, has dual in-dash USB capability and comes in standard with a high-quality Bose speaker package. For the even more demanding audiophile, there’s an option for a state-of-the-art Bang and Olufsen Advanced Sound System, a rear seat cooler and a car phone both in the front and rear of the car. We’ll go out on a limb and advise those who would be interested in the car to try out the B&O system. You will most likely part with a bit more money after you’ve listened to the music that it produces, but if you love your music, you won’t regret it. That’s a promise.

Finally, sources at PGA Cars say that the new Audi A8 will come in three variants: a 3.0-liter TDI quattro with a V6 diesel engine with common rail direct injection system and turbocharger; a five-seater 4.2-liter FSI quattro with a V8 petrol engine with Fuel Stratified Injection and a four-seater 4.2-liter FSI quattro with a V8 petrol engine with Fuel Stratified Injection with all the belles and whistles.

The diesel variant has a power rating of 250hp @ 4000-4500rpm and a whopping torque rating of 55Nm @ 1500-3000rpm. Both petrol variants have a power rating of 372h @ 6800rpm and a torque rating of 445Nm @ 3500rpm. All three variants are equipped with an 8-speed tiptronic transmission system and can reach a top speed of 250 km/h.

And no, you can’t just walk in to the PGA Cars showroom in EDSA Greenhills and expect to gawk at the new flagship sedan of Audi. Like we said, it’s very exclusive. Here’s a hint, though. Like us, you can ask for a scheduled viewing. In which case, you ought to prepare yourself to be impressed. It might be sneaking into the local market really discreetly, but once you experience the luxury it provides, you’ll agree that the new A8 screams its luxurious heritage to the highest heavens.