Audi UK Marks A8’s 21st Anniversary With Luxurious Edition 21 Model

The Audi A8 Edition 21 is a limited run of just 121 A8s for the UK – celebrating 21 years since the A8 launched – with lots of luxury and sporty upgrades. Prices for the small wheelbase start from 72,525 GBP and the long wheelbase model is available from 76,490 GBP.

Edition 21 models also get unique 20-inch double spoke alloy wheels with titanium-look finish, tinted windows and the Daytona grey pearl effect paint, normally only available for the Audi S8.

The interior spec is based on SE Executive but goes further by giving you a choice of either cognac brown with black stitching or black leather with red stitching.

The cabin also gets standard comfort front sports seats with memory function, 22-way adjustability and integrated pneumatic lumbar and side bolster support. Equipment levels are otherwise similar to cars in SE Executive trim – though naturally, the Edition 21’s special positioning extends to illuminated, logo’d sill plates. These include the Audi parking system advanced with reversing camera, a power-operated boot lid with hands-free opening and powered door closure. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is quattro all-wheel drive. The long wheelbase model, meanwhile, is only two-tenths slower and has the same electronically limited 155mph top speed. The headline figure here is economy rather than performance – at 47.9mpg for standard wheelbase cars – but a 5.9-second 0-62mph sprint makes it quicker than the original S8 of 1996. The same principle is employed to this day.

It’s a credit to Audi that the original A8’s influence can still be felt in the latest auto – from its aluminium architecture to the simple, clean-cut lines of the bodywork. The same body made entirely from steel would be around 40 per cent heavier. A new 6.3-litre version of this engine featuring Cylinder-on-Demand technology continues to deliver 500PS with sublime refinement in the current A8 range.