Audi A8 Sport (D3) | Shed of the Week

Another new kid on the block this week in the shape of this gen-two Audi A8, and a facelifted one at that. As Shed likes to shout on his more hurried assignations with the postmistress, let’s get straight into it. 

The V6 FSI petrol engine in this one displaced 3,123cc, but Audi thought 3.2 sounded better so they called it that. Shed buys his underwear on the same enlarged basis in the mistaken belief that an ‘XL’ label in his Y-fronts makes him more alluring to any members of the opposite sex who might be unfortunate enough to see it. 

You’ll notice that there’s no mention of the magic word ‘quattro’ anywhere. That means you’re missing out on drive to the back wheels, which is no biggie, but in this case it also means that Audi could fit its Multitronic CVT transmission instead of its conventional six-speed automatic gearbox. As you know, CVT stands for continuously variable transmission. In Shed’s book, it stands for three angrier and far less polite words because the Multitronic Audi he had many years ago was too continuously variable for his liking. If a CVT box goes wrong you might notice a range of non-luxury car symptoms like vibration, hesitation, slippage, shaking, bucking and the occasional smell of burning. Shed’s activities with the postmistress have included all these effects at one time or another, so he is quite comfortable with them, but you might not be.

In fairness, plenty of CVT Audi users have had perfectly pleasant ownership experiences, and Shed will admit that most of these issues are more likely to crop up in older examples than in our 2007 model, by which point the gen-two had been out for five years. It was considerably facelifted and enlarged in 2007 with the controversial (at the time) deep-chinned look you see here. That enlargement did give it some useful extra space in both the cabin and the boot. 

Two more generations have followed, the gen-four D5 that was launched in 2017 still forming part of today’s Audi offering. It’s still being built in Neckarsulm too, and there’s still a small 3.0 V6 at the bottom of the A8 range, albeit with two turbos and hybrid assistance to give it 335hp/369lb ft. It needs it though because one of those 55 TFSIs weighs well over two tonnes, which is a lot more than the 1,690kg of our gen two. The newer car’s eight-speed transmission plus its extra power and torque give it a 0-62mph time in the high fives, a full two seconds quicker than our naturally aspirated CVT shed can manage with its 256hp at 6,500rpm and 243lb ft at 3,500rpm. Still, 7.7 seconds for the 0-62 should be quick enough for most, and it will go on to hit 155mph. 

The fuel consumption isn’t especially terrible at 29mpg, with 40mpg available in gentle use. UK buyers will pay hard on tax though, the 264g/km emissions figure putting it squarely into the richest tax bracket of £735 a year, but you get what you pay for and in this case that should be a quality motor. The interior design still stands up well, the prodigious gear selector being the main thing to date it. If that had been a compilation CD its title would surely have been Now That’s What I Call A Gearknob. The wear hole in the carpet seems to be on the brake pedal side rather than the go-faster side, which is odd. 

An MOT test was carried out last month, revealing an imminent need for new rubber and brakes at the back. Continuing the theme of rear-end neglect, something with which Shed is all too familiar, the cig lighter has been appropriated from the rear passenger console. Does anyone still smoke in cars these days though? The nearside front wheelarch liner is less than pristine, but apart from that the body looks sound enough, proving the case once more for the longevity of aluminium which the A8 pioneered when it came out in 1994. The D3 A8 also debuted Audi’s MMI Multi Media Interface, and it was the first Audi to feature bi-xenon headlights, adaptive air suspension and DVD-powered navigation. 

Today, suspension compressors will need to be checked, as will the rear LED lights which can take on water and aren’t cheap to replace. Electronics generally are complex. Mechanically, the 3.2 FSI did suffer from timing chain tensioner failure. Replacement was another expensive job whose invoice would run effortlessly into four figures, and that was if you’d caught it in time. You’d like to think, or hope anyway, that this 125,000-mile car will have had that work done already. 

Drains can clog up, resulting in a damp passenger environment. Water could also get into the parking brake mechanism, seizing the motor. The vendor says it’s been stood for a couple of months, and Hartlepool is not particularly well known for its balmy climate. It’s taken as read that there will be howls of protest about the black gangster wheels and windows, but Shed is hoping that the absence of vape vents might exert a calming influence.