Audi's big-boy A8 sedan is due to get a slight refresh in 2013, and this will include a newly optional twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 engine. The exterior will also get a slight facelift, which will carry the car over to its next-generation, due out sometime in 2016 or 2017.
Car & Driver shared some early information on both the redesign and the next-generation car. The redesign should also bump up the power levels of the brand's flagship to make them more competitive with Mercedes-Benz' S-Class and BMW's 7-series. The V8 TDI offered in markets outside of the U.S., the source said, will see a power hike to over 400. The top-rung W12 engine will get turbocharged to help it leap to the front of the class in terms of power, or at least very near the top.
More extensive and key changes are likely to arrive in time for the 2016 and 2017 redesign. Sources reveal the all-aluminum space frame may make room for a hybrid version that will combine high-strength steel with other composites. This structure is likely to be shared with the next
Porsche Panamera and future Bentleys as well and come in the form of VW Group's MSB modular architecture. The current car uses the MLB architecture, which is front-wheel drive based. While North American A8s are offered solely with all-wheel-drive, other markets get front-wheel drive versions as well.
If true, this also means the car will move to a rear-wheel drive based platform for the first time. The new platform should also be capable of handling more power. Audi's newly appointed head of research and development, Wolfgang Dürheimer, who did duty as a Porsche R&D chief and Bentley CEO, is said to favor this platform and be familiar with it.
