Next Audi A8 gets self-driving technology, new styling direction

INGOLSTADT, Germany -- Audi's new A8 flagship, which goes on sale in the U.S. this fall, will have advanced autonomous driving technology and will mark the start of a new styling direction for the brand.

The A8's Level 3 autonomous function will let the car take over driving in heavy traffic at speeds up to 37 mph.

The A8 will be able to drive autonomously in countries where it is legally allowed, said CEO Rupert Stadler. The A8's Level 3 feature, which SAE calls "conditional automation," means drivers can take their eyes off the road to do other tasks but must be prepared to take control when needed.

Other advanced features on the sedan will be a new operating system that Audi says will be highly intuitive and use "ground-breaking" computing power.

The A8's central driver assistance controller, developed by Audi and supplied by Delphi, will be the brains behind all the driver control functions and enable the automated driving. It will also eventually wirelessly send information about driving styles to a cloud server to help Audi improve the automated functions.

The new A8 will mark the beginning of a new styling direction that was primarily shaped by Audi design chief Marc Lichte, Audi said in its 2016 annual report. It will borrow design cues from the Prologue concept first seen at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. 

Audi will continue to build the A8 at its factory in Neckarsulm, Germany. The A8's body shell will include four materials -- steel, aluminum, magnesium and carbon fiber -- for the first time, Audi said in a statement. 

Despite the use of lightweight components, the sedan's weight will increase because of its new technology, reports said. Audi did not give details of the new A8's weight. Aluminum components make up 58 percent of the new A8 body. Carbon fiber is used for the rear seat/trunk separator and contributes 33 percent to the torsional rigidity of the vehicle. 

The latest, fourth-generation A8 is to be unveiled July 11 in Barcelona, Spain.