Is this the new Audi A8?
by Jonathon Ramsey on Aug 9th 2009 at 10:46AM 
Over the past few days, we've received a number of tips about the new Audi A8. First was a report from Inside Line about Audi's top-tier sedan not making it to Frankfurt next month, and it was accompanied by renderings of a swoopy silver sedan (at right). Yet we couldn't figure out if that image, from Fox Syndication, was really the A8 that is said to be showing up in Detroit for it's first public viewing.Then came a tip from Autoblog reader Ryan. While passing through Arizona on a cross-country road trip, he snapped photos of a couple of camouflaged Routans, as well as numerous pics of the car you see above. After first thinking it was an A6, it appears that what he might have caught is the short-wheelbase, Euro-spec Audi A8 with amber LED turn signals. Mislaid chrome striping apes Mitsubishi's "jet-fighter" grille as part of the disguise, and the cheeky Audi engineers even went so far as to include an inverted Mitsu diamond-star insignia, too.
Compared against Inside Line's rendering and the previously-released PR photo of an Audi exec with a the new A8 under a cloak, the similarities do point to the big sedan: the hood ridges, the canted headlights, the double shoulder line, the sweeping C-pillar and rear decklid treatment all appear to line up. You can check out more shots at the VW Vortex forum, and then tell us what you think: short-wheelbase A8, or something completely different? Hat tip to Ryan
[Source: VW Vortex]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Aloysius Vampa 10:53AM (8/09/2009)
Hahahaha.
That grill is hilarious. The designers who make these disguises definitely have a sense of humor.
Reply
Mr_Pie 11:27AM (8/09/2009)
hahah
or, this whole 'audi disguised as a mitsubishi' is exactly what they want us to think
maybe its like a double disguise and its actually the next mitsubishi galant...?
fixitfixitstop 11:37AM (8/09/2009)
GRILLE!!
Aloysius Vampa 12:53PM (8/09/2009)
@fixitfixitstop
It's true. Conflating 'grill' and 'grille' disguises the fact that they are not the same: our English word grill is borrowed from the French word gril; the English word grill is a borrowing of grille (the feminine form). Or are they?
Trace their etymology further and you will find that both ultimately derive from the same word, being the Latin craticula "gridiron", itself a diminutive form of cratis "wickerwork". This is common in the Romance languages. Subtle meaning changes can be formed by changing a word that is originally of the masculine grammatical gender to the feminine gender, by altering their morphology to more fit that of a feminine noun. In this case, the common French ending '-e' was adding to the word 'gril', forming (with a double 'l', now) 'grille'. The meaning change is sublte, but there: gril refers to a grill pan, and grille, the grate of the pan itself.
For what it's worth, Merriam-Webster states that 'grill' is an acceptable variant for 'grille'.
Kitko 12:23AM (8/10/2009)
Audi aspiring to be Mitsubishi....?
jsjs 12:53AM (8/10/2009)
The Mitsu Lancer grille is just an inverted version of the Audi oversized grille (tho the new A8's grille is very Chrysler); and both Mitsu and Audi have gone w/ the "angry" headlight look, along w/ VW and BMW for some of their models.
Bird 9:02AM (8/10/2009)
Aloysius Vampa:
That is far more than I ever wanted to know about the differences between grill and grille, but thanks anyway.
Avinash machado 10:58AM (8/09/2009)
In China Audi sells a LWB A6. Could this be an face lifted A6 LWB?
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iMacDaddy 11:28AM (8/09/2009)
The front axle isn't pushed towards the corner as seen on the new A4/A5. I thought that was the hallmark of Audi's new "Modular Longitudinal Platform" that is reportedly underpinning the new A8.
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homunculus 11:26AM (8/09/2009)
definitely the a8. and it definitely looks awesome.
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abbas350 1:34AM (8/10/2009)
as long as it has a W12 it can look like anything and i'll be ok.... except for a galant.
O.Z.Racing_UK 11:27AM (8/09/2009)
Wow, the new Audi logo is an upside down Mitsubishi Logo. o.0
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waiownsyou 12:07PM (8/09/2009)
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
JDM Life 11:44AM (8/09/2009)
I'm sorry I like Audi.....but that car is FUGLY.
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Cornholio 12:10PM (8/09/2009)
Get your eyes checked....
Aloysius Vampa 1:01PM (8/09/2009)
The Avalon looks so much better, right?
Gator 1:27PM (8/09/2009)
Well as long as you're sorry...
JDM Life 6:01PM (8/09/2009)
Im not talking about the rendered white Audi but the car that driving in the main pic...that crap is ugly.
CAPSGOD 8:21PM (8/09/2009)
WELL WTF THEY ARENT GOING TO SELL THE A8 WITH A MITSU CAMO PACKAGE MORAN
Harrison 9:45PM (8/09/2009)
Y'know, I have this weird feeling you're the kind of guy like
http://notalwaysright.com/all-roads-lead-to-china/2323 .
It's a friggin' prototype. Did the large, upside Mitsubishi badge not tip you off?