as someone that bought a problem child 07 Audi S8 (right below the W12, its less balls, and more mis-guided desires for the zoom zooms, while having four doors, and a bit of not knowing what a fucking pain in the ass of a car it is to work on,
I almost bought an auction s8, bought a 14 SHO and was still burned. I thought at least the audi would be cool, but you guys remind me that I'm not made of money and I should just be content with boring simple cars. 😂
@@ImprovisedExpletiveDevice I haven't given up on it yet, and doing the work yourself is saves over half the money of the maintenance on these cars, but I wouldn't recommend one out of warranty to a non car literate person
@@Nakkisampyla…oddly the Phaeton was superior to its Bentley counterpart of the time! VW were so determined to produce a rival to the A8 in the thriving market of limousines and with an abundant engineering workforce… they not only exceeded the A8, the Phaeton was better than Bentley’s engineering at the time.
The D3 A8 and the Phaeton/Flying Spur are actually not on the same platform, not exactly. The Bentley and VW are build on the D1 chassis and their electronics and ergonomics are almost entirely different from the A8. Honestly the A8 is a much better car than even the Bentley on most fronts.
Had one 5-6 years ago, bought it for 11k eur. It was amazing, mine had every option ticked - the solar panel, the bang and olufsen audio, the 2 screens at the back, ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control, tv, bluetooth, external heater (that you can activate remotely or set an alarm), alcantara lining and much much more. If it wasn't for the electrical problems it had from a leak in the sunroof i would probably still be driving it. The transimission is a bit slow and it spent 40l/100km in city driving but it was amazing. I have a 2015 s6 and it has less extras than the 2007 s8.
Phaeton is the same chassis as the Bentley Continental Flying Spur; or rather, the Bentley is based on Phaeton's platform. It is called, the D1. Audi A8 was based on a platform called, I believe, D3. The Phaeton was positioned higher in VW's hierarchy than the Audi A8.
As the great Rich from Deboss Garage is quoted saying… You ever wonder why German manufacturer’s techs make so much money? They spend most of their time scratching their heads saying “hmmm…”
nearly bought one of those exact cars when i was 16. $1000 2004 bmw 745li. biggest bullet i ever dodged (i later bought a 09 mustang gt so im not that bright)
@@robertkirchner7981 Closest I had in my youth was Lexus ES. no Ski condom, but cool to know. the "flex" in the early 2000's was after market Thule roof racks where you can see the pricier step-in bindings for the board.
My dad bought one of these used for about 1/5 the MSRP in 2010. He drove it for ten years and hit nearly 200k miles before being rear ended and totaling the car. I drove it across NJ, Pennsylvania and some of Ohio in the middle of the night once. A thrilling drive Edit - his had the cooled seats in the back 😂
I miss that about German cars. All of them had such nice and timeless interior and exterior design. The early 2000s was the end of that era. Now the interior of German cars look like nonsense control panels from bad sci-fi. Full of convoluted and easy to break "features" that nobody wants. I feel like this horrible snowball started running downhill when BMW decided that replacing a shifter with a volume knob would be a good idea.
It's perfect. The current Bentley continental has a dash of the same school of thought. A slightly bigger screen and Carplay/ Android would make it ready fot 2024.
Our Boss Has one of those, and the rubber like thing on all plastic parta changes to goo, and interior being in bright beige looks terrible, also everything inside made of plastic crackles, including pop up screen.
@@stolamal I understand and have seen the soft touch plastic peel on VW group cars. I meant that the design has stood the test of time, they could make a new version of it now. The funny thing is that the cheapest cars with the hard plastics, are often criticized by car journalists. While exactly those dirt cheap hard plastics, look like new after 20 years. My 2003 Jaguar XJ doesn't have any soft touch plastic, it's either dirt cheap Ford plastics or leather and wood. I would love to see more relatively modern Jags on RCR! There are so many models that haven't crossed.
I go with that statement, somehow I find that the phaeton has more presence on the road than that gen A8. It was also used by the VW bosses and was meant to be their ultimate luxury car. It has got plenty (if not more) luxury gimmicks in the interior with those hiding climate vents and of course also the w12…
My father in-law got an A8L back in early 2010, drove it for around 10 years only recently changed it for a Lexus SUV thing. He ticked every box for interior, it had that yellow-ish beige leather. There was an OEM fridge at the ski hatch, the two rear side seats had powered recline and extending foot rest. There is also powered blinds for side windows (pull window switch when windows are already up). Getting a ride in it feels luxurious. The reason they got it was exactly what you said in the video: low profile on the outside luxury inside.
Imo they look but ugly but I've ridden in a few older A8Ls and I gotta say they have the highest quality fake leather I have ever seen. Like as good as that legendary Benz -tex from back in the day
August Horch lived to see the company introduce a V12 in the middle of the depression, which wasn't uncommon for luxury brands at time. This A8 simply a repeat event of history.
It's wild just how well formed the "modern car" was when these came out. Outside of something like bluetooth for the phone, this pre iphone era car checks off so many boxes. A 17 year old car in 2007 (while maybe having potential better build qualities and oozing old money charm) felt like a car you would question being a daily driver in so many more ways.
@@mercedesw211classic I love nightmares. I love being terrified, and the fear of the unknown intrigues me; I'm drawn to disaster like a moth to a flame. But I won't even consider those. They're off the table, and no force on this or any other planet could get me to buy one. XD
I still prefer the first generation Audi A8 W12 2001-2002. They are very rare, depending on source about 750 cars were built. Dry sump and lots of weird solutions to make the engine fit.
I dunno if they really forgot it is just that they had to start making engines to EURO 4 and then EURO 5 soon after. The Ronin Audi had to only meet EURO 2 & 3, which would've been childs play for any German automaker. Just add some more efficient catalytic converter, basically.
I daily my 2014 A8L 4.0T. It's amazing. It had an msrp of around 98,000. It's crazy to think it's a mid spec(W12 and s8 with better 4.0T engine were available) It's 4800lbs, fast and gets 28mpg on the highway. I paid 8% of msrp with bad front shocks. These are amazing bargains.
@@owenglover3279If you go for the TT V8, get the turbo oil screen replaced if it hasn’t already been done. The biggest thing with A8s is generally electronics and the air suspension. Check everything and test everything out, I also recommend test driving multiple examples, and please do not just settle for the cheapest price to “save” money. I’d rather get a 29K well sorted one, than a 19k with little to no documented repair history that has some “issues”. Costs can add up quickly on these cars, they’re 100K+ new, and that maintenance remains. Not saying you can find a gem for cheaper, but I recommend doing some reading on Audi Forums like AudiWorld for general reliability questions, common issues etc if you are serious.
The vents on the seat back are for the seat ventilation system. In this generation the A8 only came with a NA V8 or W12, (In the US) the twin turbo v8 didn't show up until 2013 in the D4 body.
I'm not the right owner for these kinds of cars. But I do have a Mercedes W140. And the creaking plastics at the ski bag in this Audi reminded me why I can't stand "luxury cars" after the W140. You always know that if you dig deep enough you will always find that Hyundai feel. I have three cars from the early 90's. The W140, a Volvo 940 and a top of the line Citroën XM. Ok, the Volvo only tries it's best at being...a Volvo. But both the Citroën and the Mercedes is built the same way. The quality is not just not at the surface. The Merc is of course more of everything but relatively speaking the XM is more impressive. How it's creak free after over 30 years, how they used more relays than others to not strain the ignition switch and other components. How the used more than they had to for keeping it quiet and for both the door feel and seats to be as good as the over twice as expensive Mercedes. I know that people may laugh at me for comparing an XM to a W140, but get over it, I own both of them. And the XM has a much more advanced adaptive suspension than the Audi but 15 years earlier, and that suspension has already outlived my W140´s ordinary suspension twice.
I agree with you on the XM. I was driven around a few times in a fully loaded one and I was extremely impressed, even though it was already considered an “old” car at the time. A world class luxury car in a category of its own ❤
As an A8 owner I can confirm it doesn't have that solid build quality like you'd find in a Sacco era Mercedes. My A8 creaks around the ski hatch and the rear center air vents. Honestly the only "modern" luxury car that can match the W140 on build quality is the VW Phaeton; the Phaeton is really an amazingly well built car which it doesn't always get credit for.
LoL- I inherited a D2 A8L Quattro & a D4 A8L 4L TT from my uncle. Younger daughter calls the D2 (which is Ebony Pearl Effect with blacked out windows, 18" Hypergram wheels, about 2" trunk lip spoiler, 30MM drop progressive-rate sport springs, better sway bars & Bilstein struts) the "Slav Mafia Murder Machine" because if you see something like this pull up in Eastern Europe...you leave!
People forget that Audi's success in sportscar in the 00s contributed to raising of Audi's brand value. The 'plain' ole S and RS fed off the V10 and W12 engined cars who in turn fed of the success of Audi's LMP cars.
At some point, the person who buys this car just ignores all the check engine lights, does only basic maintenance of oil changes, and just lives with the fact that every time they start the car up, another feature might decide to quit working. “Oh that doesn’t work.” or “Oh, don’t touch any buttons.” will be the car owner’s most frequently said phrase. You buy this car and enjoy the ride as you let it spiral in to the ground. When it no longer drives, you sell it for $800 and its parts go on to support other W12 owners who aren’t yet poor.
This is pretty much how it goes with ANY Audi purchase. If you’re considering buying an Audi, you should just go to your bank, withdraw your life savings, take it home, fan it out in front of your wife in one hand, and ignite it with a blow torch in the other.
A few additional rear seat options would indeed have been available, like ventilation and a reclining feature for rear passengers. IIRC, a mini fridge could also have been specified for that center portion of the rear seat (these are really meant to be four, rather than five, passenger cars). The vertical vents on the front seatbacks are the intake ducts for the front seat ventilation feature.
As somebody who graduated class of 2008, this was both painful, and entertaining to watch. Damn do I remember the disaster that was the economic downturn, conveniently right when I became an adult! 😂
I had a 2007 A8 with a 4.2L V8 that I drove problem free for one year. I sneakingly sold it feeling like I had just one the lottery having no issues. It was replaced with a 2001 740il. I’ve done this with flagship models since my mid 20s. I buy clean examples drive for around 15k and move to the next. I love these kind of cars.
This is some of the cleanest footage of the D3 A8 platform screen assembly!!! I had 2 D3's and always wanted to show friends a clean example on you tube of the trippy motor and cage assembly! thank you!
Audi A8L W12: The Official Car of "I Will Never Recover Financially From This" This is the car that Ryan Gosling's character in "The Big Short" would've pissed on.
My grandpa had many Audi 5000s sedans when I was growing up and in the mid 90’s bought a used 1992 Audi 100s with a 5 speed manual I just inherited that Audi and love it
Those 100 and 80's were such perfect cars. Always liked them, and there were loads here in Ireland. The only one I ever see now is a local kid with an 80 estate. If your 100s isn't rust proofed underneath, that'd be worth considering.
This W12 was a bad ass car back then. All those screens and w12 badge was status. We lived in a renaissance of everyone looking rich and everyone had to have LV, GG or Fendi on something, shoes, belts, wallets, bags. I was a 25 year old real estate agent and mortgage broker up to the 2008 collapse of the financial market. Yes there were alot of predatory lending however every consumer wanted to leverage their house so they could have that rich looking life and buy those W12s 😂. Even buyers wanted the biggest house they couldn’t afford and if you couldn’t find them any type of loan to get it they would get it somewhere else. Not going to lie it was a fun time!
I have a 2014 w12 and it’s a world of difference from this version. These cars are a dream. If you ever want to see a newer one. You are more than welcome to do a video on a newer one.
I love my 2005. Just did the engine out services including coolant lines, cam pos sensors, cv boots, valve cover gaskets, and various plastic hoses along the way
If you ever feel dumb, just realize there are people like those in the comments who feel that saying this car is expensive to maintain is some kind of profound statement.
If you ever feel dumb, just realize, there are people who will tap on the reply button, because the comment was so irresistible, they just had to see the reply. [In RCR voice]
Oh and the D3 never had a 4.0TT. We did have the 4.2 V8 as the base engine here in the states but that car in these years can show you some chain guide and tensioner issues 😢
@@PJtheAudiTech So in your professional opinion, is one better off with the W12 than the 4.2 V8 for these model years? I’m talking reliability/durability… thanks in advance 🙏
@@FabienTeulieres93 ohh tough question 😅. The V8 is certainly cheaper to maintain. Problem with the D3 W12 is a lot more work is “engine out”. Simple if you have a lift and an engine table. Pure hell if you work in your driveway 😅.. You just have to figure out how much pain you can suffer for the enjoyment of an amazing powertrain. I personally turned down a Phaeton w12 for cheap because I don’t have the space to down the car for a few days for a repair. And I do all my wrenching 😅
God, this car reminds me so much of my dad's 2012 Audi A6. Nearly every feature you mentioned was in that car. Loved that car. Can't wait to get my own A6 Allroad in the future. I hope they have a reliable hybrid powertrain in it by then (3-5 years).
Pre 2008, the Phaeton was my favorite luxury car. The Audi was explainable, but the Phaeton made no sense, which I liked. Neither sold as well as BMW, MB, or Bentley FS at our dealership - only the nerdiest customers liked the A8.
@rturner4205 Mick Dick says that an A8 driver is highly affluent with an average income of 500k a year, 58 years old, highly educated, mostly married and has a few children still in the household.
As an exowner of an old audi, when he started slamming that plastic door for the ski condom shut I almost died.... The plastics used in these things was not the most robust stuff... I'm amazed you didn't break that door 🤣
My friend has one of these but with the 4.2 V8. Bought it off his uncle who didn't want to give his teenager a V8. It's powerful, comfortable, and subdued. It's also a total nightmare to repair because every single repair is engine out. Or if you get your window broken you have to replace like the entire door. Can't imagine a W12.
2007 does deserve nostalgia, and if I'm the only one to have it, I guess that's my burden. This was my favorite era of cars. Maybe not as stylish as what came after, or as nutso-butso as the 90's, but I love the propensity car makers had for BIG, ROUND ASSES! My '07 Avalon has a handsome rear, my '05 Accord coupe has a bubble butt, and this car's is equally smooth. Regardless of the financial crisis, I take solace in those memories, and drive cars that take me there. When I'm not doing that, I use Grand Theft Auto IV as a time machine back to when I was a teenager with a 360, my now-late parents' business hadn't got bust, and life was just GOOOOOD.
The reason why Horch was forced to left the company: In 1909 they sold acceptable amount of cars. However, they were still way too expensive and did not have enough success at races. That’s why the stakeholders requested changes in the company which ended up in a fight of the board and horch lost that fight and left.
I had the Phaeton W12. A minor cooling leak was a $9K repair. The front bumpers must be removed for major repairs but they can develop cracks that cause it to break once it's removed. So they said the bumper had to be replaced if I agreed to do the repair. I dumped it at CarMax.
Sorry to hear that. With that kind of a repair bill I imagine you had it serviced at the dealer; which is a terrible idea with cars like these. Especially on the Phaeton which was too complex for most VW dealers to work on and led to a lot of shoddy repairs and overinflated bills.
Cooler than any SUV. Interesting to note that Audi still sell the A8 in the UK priced from £79,000 - £86,000. One of the options is a technology pack that is £8,800 so a highly spaced one might exceed £100,000. Cheaper than a studio flat in London.
Been waiting for the A8 EV. Too bad they didn't make it 10 years ago so I could afford it today and it wouldn't have all the external speaker humms and dings in the inside for all kinds of safety systems required today...
My LS460L has every feature this has plus a rear fridge and rear cooled seats with a 380hp 4.6 V8. It was 8 grand. That being said i wince every time i start it and if the air suspension fails I'm probably gonna commit insurance fraud
That car's stock entertainment system is basically a modified 192-generation RNS-E. In any case, the phone module of it is identical. You can connect any modern Bluetooth capable phone to it and it will work fine. I've got a 192 RNS-E with the phone module in my older A4 and I've got no issues with it and my recent Android phone.
Info drive a 2010 last of the line A8 of this generation as a V6 Diesel. This thing is so timeless und has this dezent design outside. Just love the understatement. Wishes from Germany!
I know a guy who bought one of these around 2009, voluntary repo back to a credit union from a dentist. He took good care of it before he stopped paying for it - thing was sweet - idk what engine it had tho.
I’d say older Audis hold up much better than other brands. The new models have got rid of the pop up screens and better materials like brushed aluminium and soft plastics for that horrible piano black that scratches if you touch it and hard plastics.
Brother, I can feel the admiration seeping through your video today. You *love* the W12 engine… and the interior… it is an absolute marvel of engineering! A shame we can’t have something like this anymore short of having $1.2 million+ for an exotic Ferrari with *maybe* a V8 in it still. Definitely cars like this are for the VPs of businesses out there… for the rest of us, we get Honda Prologue EVs… or plug-in hybrids. Lol
I used to think this car was amazing in its day! This and the Phaeton just blew my mind, and getting the opportunity to drive one was even better! I'd love to own one, but the maintenance cost at its age is the biggest setback for me.
I kinda thought about buying one of these as a fun project car like a week ago so this video is a fun coincidence. I really wanna get into more complicated cars and want to do a lot of the repairs myself. They are less than 10k in my area so I might pick one up soon. I am fully aware that I will sink a lot of money into it to keep it running tho, that thing will not be my daily at all
To me this was the car of the Transporter 2 movie, banger movie IMO, and I loved the car. The 735i from the 1st movie was cool but I like the 2nd movie way more because of the A8 W12. It has something to it, a presence and an aura that the 735 didn't. I think I'm watching them this weekend.
Great review, guys! Where's the REFRIGERATOR!? Dude bought a low option car! Just kidding.. this one is stacked. The B&O sound system was a $7500 option and the full leather interior with micro-suede headliner big $$$$$. Though, the service costs are gold-plated also. Buy a $150k car, maintain it like a $150k car with $4k brake jobs and STEP1: Remove motor for oil seal service.
If you're looking at a preface with the 4.0TDi, then theres one *ULTRA RARE *problem which you need to check for. After i bought mine i started to hear a typical exhaust manifold gasket leak, I thought to my self: Its a shame to pull the engine but could be worse. Then i borrowed a borescope to get a better look at the leak. The minor gasket issue turned out to be a decent hole in the head between exhaust port 2 and 3. Heard it was supposedly caused by some kind of gasket related to an injector and a clogged canal which is related to the injector that goes out by the exhaust ports. I've never found info on this issue anywhere on the internet. The mileage on the engine when it occured was 68350 miles. The car had been sitting for a while which explains why the gasket at fault failed.
The true financial crisis begins when the W12 starts making a bad noise
It’s actually as soon as the yellow MIL shows up again and again and again and again 😵💫
ALL audis really😭
coffee came out my nose when I read this.
My wallet ran away and climbed up in a tree. It now refuses to come down unless I quit this video...
@@PJtheAudiTech How can it do that when it never shuts off?
Buying an old W12 takes a lot of balls
as someone that bought a problem child 07 Audi S8 (right below the W12, its less balls, and more mis-guided desires for the zoom zooms, while having four doors, and a bit of not knowing what a fucking pain in the ass of a car it is to work on,
@@blaness13 the A8 regular was no picnic either. I swore off Audis after that.
I almost bought an auction s8, bought a 14 SHO and was still burned. I thought at least the audi would be cool, but you guys remind me that I'm not made of money and I should just be content with boring simple cars. 😂
@@ImprovisedExpletiveDevice I haven't given up on it yet, and doing the work yourself is saves over half the money of the maintenance on these cars, but I wouldn't recommend one out of warranty to a non car literate person
@@blaness13 you just wanted to rob a bank in the south of France didn't you!
When you want a phaeton but dont want to explain its not a big passat
Bentley is the choice for wealthiest VW customers. Same chassis
@@Nakkisampyla…oddly the Phaeton was superior to its Bentley counterpart of the time! VW were so determined to produce a rival to the A8 in the thriving market of limousines and with an abundant engineering workforce… they not only exceeded the A8, the Phaeton was better than Bentley’s engineering at the time.
Bro this is just bigger A6 sedan with everything you could ever think of
The D3 A8 and the Phaeton/Flying Spur are actually not on the same platform, not exactly. The Bentley and VW are build on the D1 chassis and their electronics and ergonomics are almost entirely different from the A8. Honestly the A8 is a much better car than even the Bentley on most fronts.
@@lukeclifton4392audi Is under Volkswagen,tf u talking about 😂
There needed to be a shoutout to the V10 S8 too!! This is one of the only platforms in history to be offered with a V8, V10 and V12!!
Yes, I thought the same thing. The 5.2 V10 used by Lamborghini in a detuned state.
I think the S6 got the same engine at some point too
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe yep! Absolutely epic cars
W12, my man.
Had one 5-6 years ago, bought it for 11k eur. It was amazing, mine had every option ticked - the solar panel, the bang and olufsen audio, the 2 screens at the back, ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control, tv, bluetooth, external heater (that you can activate remotely or set an alarm), alcantara lining and much much more. If it wasn't for the electrical problems it had from a leak in the sunroof i would probably still be driving it. The transimission is a bit slow and it spent 40l/100km in city driving but it was amazing. I have a 2015 s6 and it has less extras than the 2007 s8.
That moment when your Phaeton needs to be even more exclusive...
Best comment so far
Throwback to that episode
Phaeton is still cooler because of the backstory on its history
@@PigglyWigglyDeluxe this whole concept is totally true. I know an exceptionally wealthy family, and the guy drives a 17-year-old Honda Odyssey.
Phaeton is the same chassis as the Bentley Continental Flying Spur; or rather, the Bentley is based on Phaeton's platform. It is called, the D1. Audi A8 was based on a platform called, I believe, D3. The Phaeton was positioned higher in VW's hierarchy than the Audi A8.
I can confirm that the techs who are trained to work on these have lost their minds and will throw a hammer at you if you make them angry
As the great Rich from Deboss Garage is quoted saying…
You ever wonder why German manufacturer’s techs make so much money? They spend most of their time scratching their heads saying “hmmm…”
They should have applied at a Kia dealership instead if they can't handle it.
@@no1DdC tell me you’ve never dropped a w12 out on book rate $23hr at the time without telling me.😂 I wouldn’t wish that garbage on my enemies
some how these are fun to me for fixing
Audi a8 w12...
Official car of import mechanics with a dozen abandoned german cars for sale in front of their shop.
nearly bought one of those exact cars when i was 16. $1000 2004 bmw 745li. biggest bullet i ever dodged (i later bought a 09 mustang gt so im not that bright)
@@ajorux1665Atleast the Mustang is cheap to fix. An Audi not so much
Thanks RCR, I learned that Opulence isn't Grey Poupon, its having a trunk passthrough with a "phancy" ski condom.
i mean... my 330i has the same thing. .
@@quattobeast Basically, so will any luxury/near luxury car made within driving distance of the Alps.
@@quattobeast I am a Regular Peasant, pass the French's yellow.
@@robertkirchner7981 Closest I had in my youth was Lexus ES. no Ski condom, but cool to know.
the "flex" in the early 2000's was after market Thule roof racks where you can see the pricier step-in bindings for the board.
@NoodlesExtraMSG I gotcha, dude. You want the Kirkland ketchup too? :3
My dad bought one of these used for about 1/5 the MSRP in 2010. He drove it for ten years and hit nearly 200k miles before being rear ended and totaling the car. I drove it across NJ, Pennsylvania and some of Ohio in the middle of the night once. A thrilling drive
Edit - his had the cooled seats in the back 😂
Wow! Did anything break during the 200,000 miles?
Kunkleman's fried fish and auto repair 💀
"Dropped valve seat!? We didn't need hardened valve seats back in my day. They need to start selling leaded gas again."
Don't ever ask what they fry the fish with.
The financial crisis hit hard, and the dealership got foreclosed on
Jones BBQ and Foot massage >> Kunkleman’s fried fish and auto repair
My unsubtle running gag is the Kunkleman empire expanding into other businesses.
Correction: 2007 was 7 years ago. I refuse to believe otherwise.
😢
Honestly, that interior has passed the test of time. More than can be said for many German interiors these days.
I miss that about German cars. All of them had such nice and timeless interior and exterior design. The early 2000s was the end of that era. Now the interior of German cars look like nonsense control panels from bad sci-fi. Full of convoluted and easy to break "features" that nobody wants. I feel like this horrible snowball started running downhill when BMW decided that replacing a shifter with a volume knob would be a good idea.
It's perfect. The current Bentley continental has a dash of the same school of thought. A slightly bigger screen and Carplay/ Android would make it ready fot 2024.
Our Boss Has one of those, and the rubber like thing on all plastic parta changes to goo, and interior being in bright beige looks terrible, also everything inside made of plastic crackles, including pop up screen.
@@stolamal I understand and have seen the soft touch plastic peel on VW group cars. I meant that the design has stood the test of time, they could make a new version of it now.
The funny thing is that the cheapest cars with the hard plastics, are often criticized by car journalists. While exactly those dirt cheap hard plastics, look like new after 20 years. My 2003 Jaguar XJ doesn't have any soft touch plastic, it's either dirt cheap Ford plastics or leather and wood.
I would love to see more relatively modern Jags on RCR! There are so many models that haven't crossed.
That's because the next gen A8 from 2011-2016 used the same basic interior design which makes this design seem pretty modern@@HJ-vs7lf
The Transporter 3 cemented this car as a movie icon for me.
“His beloved car will be his grave.”
TBF if this was considered to be a mid manager’s car, then the actual manager drove a Bentley Continental. Not a Phaeton.
Partly true but the old money boss drove the Passat and invested his Bentley money and took Afri an safari vacations.
@@Cee_M3 lmao! 😂
This is not mid-manager-affordable. This is priced for a VP/CEO who doesn't want to draw attention
I go with that statement, somehow I find that the phaeton has more presence on the road than that gen A8. It was also used by the VW bosses and was meant to be their ultimate luxury car. It has got plenty (if not more) luxury gimmicks in the interior with those hiding climate vents and of course also the w12…
My father in-law got an A8L back in early 2010, drove it for around 10 years only recently changed it for a Lexus SUV thing. He ticked every box for interior, it had that yellow-ish beige leather. There was an OEM fridge at the ski hatch, the two rear side seats had powered recline and extending foot rest. There is also powered blinds for side windows (pull window switch when windows are already up).
Getting a ride in it feels luxurious. The reason they got it was exactly what you said in the video: low profile on the outside luxury inside.
❤
These are absolutely timeless in design and modern by today’s standards. Such stunners.
Shlt looks like q big a3
@@juanfo7307 It's called having a common design language. Other car makers (*cough* Hyundai *cough*) could learn a thing or two from this.
@@no1DdC a3 should look like a small a8 not the other way around
Imo they look but ugly but I've ridden in a few older A8Ls and I gotta say they have the highest quality fake leather I have ever seen. Like as good as that legendary Benz -tex from back in the day
You’ll never see a rusty one of these. They have a completely aluminum unibody and body panels.
August Horch lived to see the company introduce a V12 in the middle of the depression, which wasn't uncommon for luxury brands at time. This A8 simply a repeat event of history.
It's wild just how well formed the "modern car" was when these came out. Outside of something like bluetooth for the phone, this pre iphone era car checks off so many boxes. A 17 year old car in 2007 (while maybe having potential better build qualities and oozing old money charm) felt like a car you would question being a daily driver in so many more ways.
I am having a panic attack just thinking about doing a timing chain.
Timing chain? Try timing CHAINS.
Actually It's not that bad, try to work on a new diesel mercedes if you want to have nightmares...
@@mercedesw211classic I love nightmares. I love being terrified, and the fear of the unknown intrigues me; I'm drawn to disaster like a moth to a flame.
But I won't even consider those. They're off the table, and no force on this or any other planet could get me to buy one. XD
What engines/chassis and why is it that bad ?
I still prefer the first generation Audi A8 W12 2001-2002. They are very rare, depending on source about 750 cars were built. Dry sump and lots of weird solutions to make the engine fit.
The first gen A/S8s like in Ronin are shockingly reliable though.
This is from the era that Audi forgot how to make engines in.
I dunno if they really forgot it is just that they had to start making engines to EURO 4 and then EURO 5 soon after. The Ronin Audi had to only meet EURO 2 & 3, which would've been childs play for any German automaker. Just add some more efficient catalytic converter, basically.
I daily my 2014 A8L 4.0T. It's amazing. It had an msrp of around 98,000. It's crazy to think it's a mid spec(W12 and s8 with better 4.0T engine were available) It's 4800lbs, fast and gets 28mpg on the highway. I paid 8% of msrp with bad front shocks. These are amazing bargains.
I've been toying with getting one, I saw one today with 70k miles for $19k.
@@owenglover3279If you go for the TT V8, get the turbo oil screen replaced if it hasn’t already been done. The biggest thing with A8s is generally electronics and the air suspension. Check everything and test everything out, I also recommend test driving multiple examples, and please do not just settle for the cheapest price to “save” money.
I’d rather get a 29K well sorted one, than a 19k with little to no documented repair history that has some “issues”. Costs can add up quickly on these cars, they’re 100K+ new, and that maintenance remains.
Not saying you can find a gem for cheaper, but I recommend doing some reading on Audi Forums like AudiWorld for general reliability questions, common issues etc if you are serious.
The vents on the seat back are for the seat ventilation system. In this generation the A8 only came with a NA V8 or W12, (In the US) the twin turbo v8 didn't show up until 2013 in the D4 body.
I'm not the right owner for these kinds of cars. But I do have a Mercedes W140. And the creaking plastics at the ski bag in this Audi reminded me why I can't stand "luxury cars" after the W140. You always know that if you dig deep enough you will always find that Hyundai feel. I have three cars from the early 90's. The W140, a Volvo 940 and a top of the line Citroën XM. Ok, the Volvo only tries it's best at being...a Volvo. But both the Citroën and the Mercedes is built the same way. The quality is not just not at the surface. The Merc is of course more of everything but relatively speaking the XM is more impressive. How it's creak free after over 30 years, how they used more relays than others to not strain the ignition switch and other components. How the used more than they had to for keeping it quiet and for both the door feel and seats to be as good as the over twice as expensive Mercedes. I know that people may laugh at me for comparing an XM to a W140, but get over it, I own both of them. And the XM has a much more advanced adaptive suspension than the Audi but 15 years earlier, and that suspension has already outlived my W140´s ordinary suspension twice.
I agree with you on the XM. I was driven around a few times in a fully loaded one and I was extremely impressed, even though it was already considered an “old” car at the time. A world class luxury car in a category of its own ❤
As an A8 owner I can confirm it doesn't have that solid build quality like you'd find in a Sacco era Mercedes. My A8 creaks around the ski hatch and the rear center air vents. Honestly the only "modern" luxury car that can match the W140 on build quality is the VW Phaeton; the Phaeton is really an amazingly well built car which it doesn't always get credit for.
LoL- I inherited a D2 A8L Quattro & a D4 A8L 4L TT from my uncle. Younger daughter calls the D2 (which is Ebony Pearl Effect with blacked out windows, 18" Hypergram wheels, about 2" trunk lip spoiler, 30MM drop progressive-rate sport springs, better sway bars & Bilstein struts) the "Slav Mafia Murder Machine" because if you see something like this pull up in Eastern Europe...you leave!
Haha, lucky you, these are beautiful cars with timeless designs inside and out. Hopefully they do not cause you too many issues with maintenance 🙏🤞
Both were my uncle's, so they weren't beat on & taken care of. @@FabienTeulieres93
the canonical dvd left in any car dvd player is White Chicks 2
Mine was predator
The inflation is worse than that when you account the general greed tax in the car market
I thought general greed tax was in stars war
People forget that Audi's success in sportscar in the 00s contributed to raising of Audi's brand value. The 'plain' ole S and RS fed off the V10 and W12 engined cars who in turn fed of the success of Audi's LMP cars.
The maintenance for this car will put you in financial ruin !
personal recession
I want to know how much you would spend on just oil.
Just as intended. This car isn't meant for poor people.
At some point, the person who buys this car just ignores all the check engine lights, does only basic maintenance of oil changes, and just lives with the fact that every time they start the car up, another feature might decide to quit working. “Oh that doesn’t work.” or “Oh, don’t touch any buttons.” will be the car owner’s most frequently said phrase. You buy this car and enjoy the ride as you let it spiral in to the ground. When it no longer drives, you sell it for $800 and its parts go on to support other W12 owners who aren’t yet poor.
This is pretty much how it goes with ANY Audi purchase.
If you’re considering buying an Audi, you should just go to your bank, withdraw your life savings, take it home, fan it out in front of your wife in one hand, and ignite it with a blow torch in the other.
A few additional rear seat options would indeed have been available, like ventilation and a reclining feature for rear passengers. IIRC, a mini fridge could also have been specified for that center portion of the rear seat (these are really meant to be four, rather than five, passenger cars).
The vertical vents on the front seatbacks are the intake ducts for the front seat ventilation feature.
2007 is like 2019 - a year when everything was good.
A quiet before the shitstorm.
You have had a good year since 2016?
@@udenszirnis1644you haven’t? Dude start living.
@@udenszirnis1644 one of the best years of my life, life is good
Surprisingly accurate, even though shit started hitting the fan for me in late 2019.
As somebody who graduated class of 2008, this was both painful, and entertaining to watch. Damn do I remember the disaster that was the economic downturn, conveniently right when I became an adult! 😂
Same, graduated in 08. I remember my retail job cutting hours way back, so decided to join the Air Force cause it seemed like the safe bet. It was.
Class of 09 that graduated early, yup definitely.
Homie said crippling debt wasn't enough for him and went straight to paralyzing debt
Generational debt😂
I had a 2007 A8 with a 4.2L V8 that I drove problem free for one year. I sneakingly sold it feeling like I had just one the lottery having no issues. It was replaced with a 2001 740il. I’ve done this with flagship models since my mid 20s. I buy clean examples drive for around 15k and move to the next. I love these kind of cars.
I like this channel
It’s honest and sarcastic
Been watching them for probably more than 5 years now
its like an automobile roast, lol
One of the nicest cars ever and also one of the biggest money pitts ever, and that ski pass thru was commonly optioned as a rear fridge
This is some of the cleanest footage of the D3 A8 platform screen assembly!!! I had 2 D3's and always wanted to show friends a clean example on you tube of the trippy motor and cage assembly! thank you!
The Audi A8 was the official car of Kunkleman Investments in 2007.
W reference
Audi A8L W12: The Official Car of "I Will Never Recover Financially From This"
This is the car that Ryan Gosling's character in "The Big Short" would've pissed on.
My grandpa had many Audi 5000s sedans when I was growing up and in the mid 90’s bought a used 1992 Audi 100s with a 5 speed manual I just inherited that Audi and love it
Those 100 and 80's were such perfect cars. Always liked them, and there were loads here in Ireland. The only one I ever see now is a local kid with an 80 estate. If your 100s isn't rust proofed underneath, that'd be worth considering.
@@peterlarkin762 she’s pretty good underneath rustproofing wise thankfully I miss seeing old Audis in the us but they are far and few
My favourite car content channel referencing my favourite finance content channel!
A match made in heaven 💚
16:53 counterstrike ammo purchase sound
As someone who worked at WAMU (and then Chase) in 2008 in the Loan Modification department, this video definitely sticks. 😅
This W12 was a bad ass car back then. All those screens and w12 badge was status. We lived in a renaissance of everyone looking rich and everyone had to have LV, GG or Fendi on something, shoes, belts, wallets, bags. I was a 25 year old real estate agent and mortgage broker up to the 2008 collapse of the financial market. Yes there were alot of predatory lending however every consumer wanted to leverage their house so they could have that rich looking life and buy those W12s 😂. Even buyers wanted the biggest house they couldn’t afford and if you couldn’t find them any type of loan to get it they would get it somewhere else. Not going to lie it was a fun time!
I have a 2014 w12 and it’s a world of difference from this version. These cars are a dream. If you ever want to see a newer one. You are more than welcome to do a video on a newer one.
Excellent video and I love the Audi history lesson! This is the RCR we are all here for!
And here we are now, in the beginning days of the sub-prime car loan crisis. What will RCR being reviewing from today in 12 years?
I had the pleasure of working on the navigation/infotainment system for the D3 A8 in the early 2000s. This was a major step up from the D2.
I love my 2005. Just did the engine out services including coolant lines, cam pos sensors, cv boots, valve cover gaskets, and various plastic hoses along the way
If you ever feel dumb, just realize there are people like those in the comments who feel that saying this car is expensive to maintain is some kind of profound statement.
if you ever feel dumb, just realize there are people like this who believe they will find something profound in the comments section of a RCR video.
If you ever feel dumb, just realize, there are people who will tap on the reply button, because the comment was so irresistible, they just had to see the reply.
[In RCR voice]
If you ever feel dumb, you probably are.
If you ever feel dumb,just realize there are people liking all of these comments and replies
@@EtcEtcReviews 🔥🔥🔥🔥😆😆😆
I’ve done sooo much work on this exact platform and engine, I have serious PTSD whenever I see on 😂
Oh and the D3 never had a 4.0TT. We did have the 4.2 V8 as the base engine here in the states but that car in these years can show you some chain guide and tensioner issues 😢
@@PJtheAudiTech So in your professional opinion, is one better off with the W12 than the 4.2 V8 for these model years? I’m talking reliability/durability… thanks in advance 🙏
@@FabienTeulieres93 ohh tough question 😅. The V8 is certainly cheaper to maintain. Problem with the D3 W12 is a lot more work is “engine out”. Simple if you have a lift and an engine table. Pure hell if you work in your driveway 😅.. You just have to figure out how much pain you can suffer for the enjoyment of an amazing powertrain. I personally turned down a Phaeton w12 for cheap because I don’t have the space to down the car for a few days for a repair. And I do all my wrenching 😅
@@PJtheAudiTech That makes sense, almost no space to work around the engine bay with a W12 crammed in. Thanks!
Makes the regular vr6 seem like a 4 banger to work on 😆 @@FabienTeulieres93
7:00 missed a great opportunity to have The Big Short playing
this
Ah i fell in love with this car from the Transporter franchise
I had a 2009 A8 L 4.2 and it was one of my absolute favorite cars I've ever owned. I'd love to have another one some day
God, this car reminds me so much of my dad's 2012 Audi A6. Nearly every feature you mentioned was in that car. Loved that car. Can't wait to get my own A6 Allroad in the future. I hope they have a reliable hybrid powertrain in it by then (3-5 years).
Pre 2008, the Phaeton was my favorite luxury car. The Audi was explainable, but the Phaeton made no sense, which I liked. Neither sold as well as BMW, MB, or Bentley FS at our dealership - only the nerdiest customers liked the A8.
This car was designed by a guy legitimately called Mick Dick.
With Rodger Todger
Associate of Billy Willy.
They work for Bob Knob too
@@liamallen98 They were going to get a styling proposal from Scottish designer Jacques Cock.
@rturner4205 Mick Dick says that an A8 driver is highly affluent with an average income of 500k a year, 58 years old, highly educated, mostly married and has a few children still in the household.
As an exowner of an old audi, when he started slamming that plastic door for the ski condom shut I almost died.... The plastics used in these things was not the most robust stuff... I'm amazed you didn't break that door 🤣
My friend has one of these but with the 4.2 V8. Bought it off his uncle who didn't want to give his teenager a V8. It's powerful, comfortable, and subdued. It's also a total nightmare to repair because every single repair is engine out. Or if you get your window broken you have to replace like the entire door. Can't imagine a W12.
Good morning😊 I love this, this is the car from Transporter 2 & 3. Those were a 2006 and 2008 respectively❤
The 2007 Lexus LS actually had a self parallel parking feature of sorts. You select the parking spot and it'll reverse itself into the spot.
2007 does deserve nostalgia, and if I'm the only one to have it, I guess that's my burden.
This was my favorite era of cars. Maybe not as stylish as what came after, or as nutso-butso as the 90's, but I love the propensity car makers had for BIG, ROUND ASSES!
My '07 Avalon has a handsome rear, my '05 Accord coupe has a bubble butt, and this car's is equally smooth.
Regardless of the financial crisis, I take solace in those memories, and drive cars that take me there. When I'm not doing that, I use Grand Theft Auto IV as a time machine back to when I was a teenager with a 360, my now-late parents' business hadn't got bust, and life was just GOOOOOD.
The reason why Horch was forced to left the company:
In 1909 they sold acceptable amount of cars. However, they were still way too expensive and did not have enough success at races. That’s why the stakeholders requested changes in the company which ended up in a fight of the board and horch lost that fight and left.
My dad's a4 had the ski bag lmao, wonderful memories of him making me fold it back up when I pulled it out because I was bored.
I had the Phaeton W12. A minor cooling leak was a $9K repair. The front bumpers must be removed for major repairs but they can develop cracks that cause it to break once it's removed. So they said the bumper had to be replaced if I agreed to do the repair. I dumped it at CarMax.
Sorry to hear that. With that kind of a repair bill I imagine you had it serviced at the dealer; which is a terrible idea with cars like these. Especially on the Phaeton which was too complex for most VW dealers to work on and led to a lot of shoddy repairs and overinflated bills.
The vents in the back of the seats is for the front ventilated seats, they are the intakes for the seat fans
Cooler than any SUV.
Interesting to note that Audi still sell the A8 in the UK priced from £79,000 - £86,000. One of the options is a technology pack that is £8,800 so a highly spaced one might exceed £100,000. Cheaper than a studio flat in London.
Been waiting for the A8 EV. Too bad they didn't make it 10 years ago so I could afford it today and it wouldn't have all the external speaker humms and dings in the inside for all kinds of safety systems required today...
My LS460L has every feature this has plus a rear fridge and rear cooled seats with a 380hp 4.6 V8. It was 8 grand. That being said i wince every time i start it and if the air suspension fails I'm probably gonna commit insurance fraud
You can probably convert it to a regular coil suspension and be done with it, whenever this happens. You wouldn’t be the first to do so 🤷♂️
Your LS doesn't handle anywhere near as well.
That car's stock entertainment system is basically a modified 192-generation RNS-E. In any case, the phone module of it is identical. You can connect any modern Bluetooth capable phone to it and it will work fine. I've got a 192 RNS-E with the phone module in my older A4 and I've got no issues with it and my recent Android phone.
16:00 My 2006 7 series has ventilated (and fully electrically adjustable) seats in the back, so Audi probably offered it as well
The smallest flower is a thought, a life answering to some feature of the Great Whole, of whom they have a persistent intuition.
My 2003 Lexus RX (Known as the Toyota Harrier in my region) had the same back up camera 4 years earlier
King of the hill Audi in my book, and 2007 wasnt really that long ago, thats still an amazing car to own even now...
The lines on my mum's 2005 Toyota Crown backup camera also moves.
Your guys sure looked fun doing this one
10:28 That line is wild
Info drive a 2010 last of the line A8 of this generation as a V6 Diesel. This thing is so timeless und has this dezent design outside. Just love the understatement. Wishes from Germany!
Man I was bringing RCR so much I forgot its monday again
The a8 didn't have the 4.0 till 2013, up till 2012 it was a natural aspirated 4.2 v8, great video tho love the history appreciation
Caleb Hammer-verse crossover into RCR-verse ? I love this
The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
This reminds me of the '89 560SEL my father purchased from Michael Milken in the mid '90's. IYKYK
I know a guy who bought one of these around 2009, voluntary repo back to a credit union from a dentist. He took good care of it before he stopped paying for it - thing was sweet - idk what engine it had tho.
I’d say older Audis hold up much better than other brands. The new models have got rid of the pop up screens and better materials like brushed aluminium and soft plastics for that horrible piano black that scratches if you touch it and hard plastics.
What is your definition of “hold up”? lol
Brother, I can feel the admiration seeping through your video today. You *love* the W12 engine… and the interior… it is an absolute marvel of engineering! A shame we can’t have something like this anymore short of having $1.2 million+ for an exotic Ferrari with *maybe* a V8 in it still. Definitely cars like this are for the VPs of businesses out there… for the rest of us, we get Honda Prologue EVs… or plug-in hybrids. Lol
Love the A8s with the wine fridges
“Every car is worth driving at least once.” Truer words have never been spoken. Some, like the Bravada, can remain being just a one night stand.
Honestly audi is on top in terms of interior styling ive owned 2 A4s so far, a 2009 and a 2018 and they are both fantastic
I used to think this car was amazing in its day! This and the Phaeton just blew my mind, and getting the opportunity to drive one was even better! I'd love to own one, but the maintenance cost at its age is the biggest setback for me.
I kinda thought about buying one of these as a fun project car like a week ago so this video is a fun coincidence. I really wanna get into more complicated cars and want to do a lot of the repairs myself. They are less than 10k in my area so I might pick one up soon. I am fully aware that I will sink a lot of money into it to keep it running tho, that thing will not be my daily at all
That owner bald headed guy looks like a SavageGeese twin 😊
Quick! Somebody forward this video to Mark and Jack!
I'm pretty sure the lines moved like that on my 2007 Prius. Oddly enough, they do not do this on my 2024 EV6.
Finally, a car for representing my own baaaaaallllllsssss
To me this was the car of the Transporter 2 movie, banger movie IMO, and I loved the car. The 735i from the 1st movie was cool but I like the 2nd movie way more because of the A8 W12. It has something to it, a presence and an aura that the 735 didn't.
I think I'm watching them this weekend.
Regular Car Reviews and A8L W12 in the same title is insane
The rear seat AC is part of the rear executive package. Fully adjustable and vented rear seats.
Great review, guys! Where's the REFRIGERATOR!? Dude bought a low option car! Just kidding.. this one is stacked. The B&O sound system was a $7500 option and the full leather interior with micro-suede headliner big $$$$$. Though, the service costs are gold-plated also. Buy a $150k car, maintain it like a $150k car with $4k brake jobs and STEP1: Remove motor for oil seal service.
I wish we still had cars like this.
That car never had the Twin Turbo 4.0t. That wasn't until the next generation. There was a naturally aspirated 4.2 V8. And the S8 had a 5.2l V10.
If you're looking at a preface with the 4.0TDi, then theres one *ULTRA RARE *problem which you need to check for.
After i bought mine i started to hear a typical exhaust manifold gasket leak, I thought to my self: Its a shame to pull the engine but could be worse. Then i borrowed a borescope to get a better look at the leak. The minor gasket issue turned out to be a decent hole in the head between exhaust port 2 and 3.
Heard it was supposedly caused by some kind of gasket related to an injector and a clogged canal which is related to the injector that goes out by the exhaust ports. I've never found info on this issue anywhere on the internet. The mileage on the engine when it occured was 68350 miles. The car had been sitting for a while which explains why the gasket at fault failed.