- Next A8 could use Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion architecture.
- This design draws inspiration from the sharp, modern lines of Concept C.
- Earlier A8 EV plans were reportedly based on the Grandsphere concept.
The future of the Audi A8 remains uncertain, yet the conversation around it is far from over. While we think the current generation, which has been around since 2017, has aged gracefully, it hasn’t kept pace with the technological strides made by the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, both of which will soon undergo a refresh.
Read: Audi Has No Idea What To Do With The A8
If Audi decides to continue the A8 lineage, it might take a form not unlike this speculative rendering. Whether that’s good news depends entirely on how one feels about Audi’s evolving design language and the degree to which tradition should give way to reinvention.
The Question of Continuation
Audi recently acknowledged that it has yet to decide on the A8’s long-term future, leaving open the possibility that it could be dropped from the lineup altogether.
Earlier plans to replace it with two all-electric flagships, including a low-slung sedan and a sporty crossover, have been shelved after Porsche decided to indefinitely postpone its related K1 project.
Also: Audi Activesphere Concept Brings Its Transparent Grille And Hidden Truck Bed To Munich
One option reportedly under discussion among Audi officials is to develop a sedan based on a newer internal combustion platform. Should Audi take that route, the car would need a complete redesign to align with the brand’s upcoming generation of models.
A Different Design Path
When it came to visualizing what a new A8 might look like, digital artist Nikita Chuyko from Kolesa took a different approach.
Also: Mercedes’ Vision Styling Looks Great On The Next S-Class
Rather than drawing inspiration from the gorgeous Grandsphere concept from 2021, initially conceived as an early glimpse of the new-age A8, he based this rendering on the more recent Audi Concept C, itself introduced as a preview of the upcoming TT.
Concept Car Looks
The front end is almost identical to that concept. It has the same slim LED headlights and the same odd rectangular gloss black front grille.
As with the Concept C, there are then vertical air vents on either side of the bumper, although they are slightly slimmer on this future A8. The artist has also added a pair of diagonal lines to the bumper to make it look a little more interesting.
Plenty of changes have also been made to the sides of this future A8. For example, new flush door handles and a sharp line run along both doors.
Then there’s the rear. Like the Concept C, it features a pair of simple horizontal taillights and a large diffuser, elements that feel somewhat misplaced on a luxury sedan unless it happens to be an S or RS performance model.
What About The Platform?
Recent reports indicate that if the A8 gets a successor, it could use the same Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture as the next-generation Q7 and Q9.
More: Audi’s Coming For Maybach With New Q9 Horch
If it does indeed live on, we hope Audi’s designers will make it look more cohesive than the car shown in these images. But, what do you think? Would you like a potential new A8 to look like this?
