► New Audi A8 Edition 21 is shown
► Only 121 will be made available for UK
► On sale from November 2015
Audi has revealed a limited-edition A8, named Edition 21, to celebrate 21 years of ‘pioneering production’. Available in both standard- and long-wheelbase bodystyles, prices start at £72,525 and £76,490 respectively.
To mark those two decades and a bit on sale, only 121 of the A8 special editions are coming to the UK with sales beginning in November 2015. Click here to read about the new 2016 Audi A8.
Remind me, what was pioneering about the A8?
Audi claims the 1994 A8 was the first series production car to use lightweight aluminium construction. Known as the Audi Space Frame (ASF), it’s now available on a number of Audi models and Ingolstadt says it can cut 40% from the kerbweight of a comparable steel-bodied car. And back in 2001, the A8 received a 6.0-litre W12 engine, making it the world’s first four-wheel drive V12 luxury saloon (although no such capacity will be available in Edition 21).
So, what’s new about the Edition 21?
The exterior is pepped up with revised front and rear bumpers, more pronounced side sills and titanium-look 20-inch alloys. As standard, Audi’s new Matrix LED headlights also feature.
Inside, the Edition 21 receives a number of previously option-only features, such as Bose Surround Sound, a reversing camera, and powered door and boot-lid operations. Illuminated door sills carry the Edition 21 emblem and cabins are upholstered in just two colours – cognac brown with contrasting black stitching, or black leather with contrasting red stitching.
And the engine?
No twelve-pot excess here; the UK-bound Edition 21 models come with the engine most buyers pick: the 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine, which produces 258bhp and 427lb ft of torque. It’s sufficiently punchy for a 0-62mph time of 5.9sec while gobbling fuel at the rate of 47.9 miles per gallon.