If you’re of a more delicate automotive constitution and think all executive limousines should only serve one purpose, that is, high-powered, largely inconspicuous travel for high-powered executives, then you might want to turn away now… and stay away for the next few pages or so.
That’s because Mr H, also the owner of last month’s featured car, a fully worked-over, seventh-generation Golf by ABT, has transformed his other ride, an Audi A8, into something Batman might use to drive to the office (or is it the Batcave?) in.
This is thanks in no small part to the matte-black Oracol 970-Series wrap. The quality of the wrap and the stellar work done by Johnsonstickers is so high, you’d be hard pressed to tell it isn’t paint until you spot the glossy, black pearl-effect paint on the insides of the doors.
Aside from the wrap, and as with his Golf, Mr H has really gone to town on his A8, giving it a full exterior rework by Audi tuning specialist ABT. The effect is subtle, as befitting the restrained image of Audi’s flagship, although there are some cues to denote this is no regular A8.
The front lip splitter has a custom silver paint job, there’s a discreet rear lip spoiler and just below it, the rear valance has two pairs of trapezoidal tailpipes peeking out. As always, the bodykit has ABT’s high fitment standards (meaning, indistinguishable from the stock parts), which set off the turbine-shaped, DR21 21-inch wheels perfectly.
Keeping true to Mr H’s penchant for not sparing the small details, he’s also put in a set of H&R wheel spacers (10mm front, 15mm rear) for a more aggressive “stance”. As with this A8’s new bodystyling, subtlety is the overarching impression, although to the eagle-eyed car spotter, the more “butch” stance is noticeable, particularly when it’s rolling along.
Those wheel spacers, in addition to improving the aesthetic appeal of this A8, also have the happy benefit of widening its tracks and granting a boost to roadholding ability. This is further enhanced by the electronic lowering module provided by ABT (remember, this A8 runs on air-filled dampers).
But even with all that, Mr H isn’t done with his A8’s exterior enhancements. You might have noticed something a little… different about his A8. The aluminium-look wing mirrors are taken from the executive cruise missile that is the S8, as are the beefy brake callipers (front and rear).
Mr H has also gone without the standard slatted front grille, opting instead for the eye-catching silver mesh of the flagship A8 variant (the W12-powered version). Also taken from the A8 W12 are the silver foglamp grilles, which up the bling factor even more.
Naturally, the theme for his A8’s interior also follows that of the exterior, in that it has a small mountain of inconspicuous style. Not much is different here from the standard car, although some might argue that the rich chocolate shades of the Audi Design Selection package in Balao Brown need no further tweaking.
These also include the dashboard panels, leather seat upholstery (with contrasting stripe down the middle and matching piping), door cards in Alcantara and matching matte-finish wood panels. All these are offset nicely by some brushed aluminium trim strips.
Other choice options from the official Audi catalogue include a pair of television screens for the rear seats and a very racy-looking child seat, both essential items for Mr H’s baby daughter.
One of the few things not from the Audi catalogue (if you don’t count the aluminium pedals from the S8) are the ABT-branded seatbelt pads and the illuminated entrance lights that project the Kempten-based tuner’s logo onto the ground when the door is opened.
But despite Mr H’s stealthy brief for his A8, he’s not afraid to indulge his love of fast cars. Even the briefest of brushes with the throttle will reveal that some work has been done under that graceful bonnet.
The 4.2-litre, naturally aspirated V8 has seen its stock output of 372bhp/440Nm boosted by around 40bhp/40Nm respectively. That’s no mean feat considering its lack of forced induction, testament to the good work done by EuroSports Performance Tuning, which handled the power bump.
The healthy increase in output, coupled with Pedalbox’s electronic remap of the throttle’s responses, make the A8 feel like a cat about to pounce. Of course, this might not be to everyone’s tastes, but knowing Mr H and his penchant for speedy cars, we think he wouldn’t have it any other way.
In short, Mr H’s A8 is a “sleeper”, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll see the meticulous care that has gone into selecting its various modifications.
Which in itself neatly sums up the A8’s basic personality: a mailed-fist in a velvet glove. Quite appropriate, given the sinister matte-black hue of Mr H’s car…
EXTERIOR
Oracol 970-Series matte-black wrap
ABT front spoiler
ABT side skirts
ABT rear skirt
ABT rear spoiler
ABT valve caps
Audi S8 wing mirrors
Audi A8 W12 front grille
Audi A8 W12 foglamp grilles
INTERIOR
Audi Design Selection interior
ABT entrance lights
Audi S8 pedals
ENGINE
EuroSports ECU tuning
Pedalbox throttle response tuning
K&N drop-in air filter
SUSPENSION/HANDLING
ABT Level Control air suspension lowering (25mm front & rear)
Audi S8 brake callipers
Audi S8 brake rotors
(400mm front & 356mm rear)
Majestic stainless steel brake lines
WHEELS/TYRES
ABT DR21 21-inch wheels
H&R wheel spacers
(10mm front, 15mm rear)
Continental ContiSportContact 5P, 275/35 R21 tyres
