2008 Audi A8

Sleek lines. Broad, real wood consoles and buttery-smooth Valcona leather.

Soft LED ambient lighting. My passengers noticed right away that the 2008 Audi A8 was something special, even before the navigation screen powered itself up out of the dash and the pop-up Bang & Olufsen tweeters rose out of the instrument panel to offer concert-grade sound.

After all of that, I don't think anyone even noticed how the thing drove, which is too bad; they missed the best part of this big Audi's show.

The fact that my auto-illiterate friends immediately noticed that the

A8 was something special is significant, however, especially in light of cars like the Lexus LS600hL and Cadillac XLR which rolled through largely unnoticed in spite of their high-dollar appointments and window stickers.

The A8 feels like old money, no small feat for a manufacturer that's not British, and its confident brand of luxury is evident even to non-car people, at least from the inside.

"Old money" means "comfortable money" as well, so the A8 doesn't feel the need to show off at the curb. The styling is reserved for a six- figure vehicle; the expensive bits are mostly underneath, and at a glance the A8 looks like little more than a stretched A6. The Audi- neutral styling is set apart by flashy twenty-inch wheels and a large- framed grille with bolder vertical bars that dips into the bumper line like that of the R8 and other high-performance Audis.

Taillights are LED units, and turn signal repeaters are located in the side view mirrors.

Inside, the A8 is bank-vault solid and library-silent. It'll only hold four passengers, but that just ensures that each of them can be properly cared for, with heated and cooled 16-way adjustable front seats, vanity mirrors with a magnifying feature, four-zone climate control, reclining rear seats, and even a massage function for the front seats. The large consoles are trimmed with wood front and rear. The advanced Bang & Olufsen sound system, a $6300 option, is one of the most visually exciting ones out there, with tweeter units that rise out of the dash when the car is started. The presentation is of course only the icing on the fantastic sound quality.

The Multi-Media Interface (MMI) information screen flips up out of the dash, where it's protected by a matching wood cover when the A8 is idle. Of the multi-disciplined infotainment systems available in many high-end German cars, Audi's MMI's turn-and-push knob and simple function keys make it the easiest to use, and possibly the most intuitive. On the road, the A8's available Lane Assist and Side Assist systems warn of vehicles traveling in the car's blind spots with a yellow light in the side-view mirrors. A power trunk lid and rear sun shades are must-haves in this class, and the A8 has them.

The 6.0 liter W12 engine provides 450 horsepower, because there's not much point in spending this much money for a car that can't get out of its own way. On the road, the A8 flies like a ground-bound corporate jet, accelerating with very little drama or effort. When competitors like the Lexus LS600hL are feeling like they're working hard, the A8 just ghosts quietly along without fanfare. Like many large German sedans, this car is at home on the freeway. The unique W layout of the engine results in a very compact and strong power plant. A six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic manual-shift function is standard, as is all-wheel drive. It is an Audi, after all.

Handling is confident, and the A8 reacts like a car much smaller than it is.

The four-link front, trapezoidal link rear suspension is coupled with fully pneumatic struts. The adaptive air suspension has been upgraded, to improve this big car's response. The ride is fantastic, even on Detroit's Berlin-circa-1945-like roads, as the A8 is better able to filter out the smaller imperfections in the road.

Larger, car-eating potholes are easily dodged thanks to improved variable ratio power steering with better road feel and

responsiveness. Big-calipered anti-lock brakes bring this almost

4800-pound car down from speed in a hurry, but without much fanfare or drama thanks to the integrated stability control. Everything about the A8 is confident and relaxed.

There aren't too many ways to spend six figures on a luxury sedan, so the A8 has to stand out in an already impressive crowd. It doesn't have the crowd-stopping looks of a Bentley or a big BMW, or the overt technological wizardry of a Lexus, but Audi does put on a very satisfying show. It's arguably easier to live with than those cars as well, providing over-the-top luxury features in a package that's not too precious to drive on lowly errands. Whether you're driving or being driven, the A8 is a good way to spend $140,000 on four- passenger luxury. A8 prices start at $120,100; after adding the Bang & Olufsen sound system, leather appointments, adaptive cruise control, gas guzzler tax and Audi Lane Assist, my tester stickered for $140,425.

Specifications:

All specs are for the Audi A8

Length: 204.4 in.

Width: 74.6 in.

Height: 57.3 in.

Wheelbase: 121.0 in.

Curb weight: 4729 lb.

Cargo space: 14.6 cu.ft.

Base price: $120,100

Price as tested: $140,425

Engine: 6.0 liter DOHC W12

Drivetrain: six-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

Horsepower: 450 @ 6200

Torque: 428 @ 4000-4700

Fuel capacity: 23.8 gal.

Est. mileage: 13/19