2019 Audi A8 L
Common Problems & Inspection Guide

Platform Heritage

The Audi A8 is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, and currently in its fourth generation, the A8 has been offered with either front- or permanent all-wheel drive and in short- and long-wheelbase variants. The first two generations employed the Volkswagen Group D platform, with the current generation deriving from the MLB platform. After the original model's 1994 release, Audi released the second generation in late 2002, the third in late 2009, and the fourth and current iteration in 2017. Noted as the first mass-market car with an aluminium chassis, all A8 models have used this construction method co-developed with Alcoa and marketed as the Audi Space Frame. A mechanically upgraded, high-performance version of the A8 debuted in 1996 as the Audi S8. Produced exclusively at Audi's Neckarsulm plant, the S8 is fitted standard with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system. The S8 was only offered with a short-wheelbase for the first three generations, being joined by a long-wheelbase variant for the fourth generation. In March 2026, reports stated that Audi had stopped taking new A8 orders in Germany from 18 February 2026, signaling the wind down of the current D5 generation. At the time, Audi has confirmed a successor is in the works, and availability in other markets was reported to depend on remaining inventory. The development followed broader reports that Audi was shifting strategic focus toward SUVs and electric vehicles.

Source: Wikipedia intro extract · as of Jun 19, 2026