The official reveal of the facelifted Audi A8 is set to take place online tomorrow with a public unveiling following at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. For now, the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer has released a few design sketches that hint at what this grand saloon will look like.
As can be seen from the sketches, it’s not a major facelift and the A8 retains its basic overall shape. The big emphasis on this model, however, is the new Matrix LED headlight technology. Within this unit, the indicator lights feature LEDs that light up sequentially in the turning direction.
Audi explains its facelifted A8 headlight technology: “Each headlight contains 18 light-emitting diodes arranged in a strip that is subdivided into seven blocks. Each taillamp contains 24 LEDs in eight segments, which are used to dynamically indicate the turning direction. During flashing, the blocks are sequentially activated at 20 millisecond intervals, from the inside outwards in the desired turning direction. After 150 milliseconds, all segments are bright; for another 250 milliseconds they illuminate with full intensity. Afterwards, the turn signals go dark before repeating the lighting sequence.”
Other highlights include navigation-based cornering lights that, in conjunction with night vision technology, can warn the driver of pedestrians in the dark. All these latest technologies are meant to keep the Audi A8 up to speed on what is considered to be the segment leader – the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
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