| First Drive | Salzburg, Austria | Audi A8 L W12 |

It's quite simple really: the 'L' in A8 L stands for 'long', which stands for an extra 130mm, all of which is given to rear leg space. This is therefore the executive plus version of Audi's flagship limo, and it's only in this length model that you can specify the 6.3-litre W12 engine. It's long and hence very strong.

In the Metal

Audi has gone for utmost discretion with the A8, to the extent that it basically looks like an A4 for the Chinese market. Some will feel it lacks the visual punch of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series, though others will love its whispered elegance. You pay your money...

Inside, the A8 succeeds because it so superbly does what a good luxury limo is supposed to do: envelopes its occupants in an ethereal cocoon, hiding them away from the hatchbacks of the outside world. Our only real gripe is that from the back it still doesn't have the cavernous feeling you might expect from a limo whose rear seats are its focal point.

The L does get an unusual optional lounging arrangement (standard in the W12 model) that moves the front passenger seat right forward and places an adjustable footrest on the seat back. It's comfy, but it also leaves your size 12s weirdly exposed to the driver.

What you get for your Money

The engine line-up retains the standard A8's core four options, comprising two 3.0-litre V6 units of petrol and diesel persuasion, and the same deal with a couple of 4.2-litre V8s. The 493bhp 6.3-litre W12 engine we're driving here is exclusive to the L. Prices range from £59,000 for a 3.0 TDI in SE trim to £93,000 for the standalone kitchen sink spec W12. Quite a spread.

As you'd expect the equipment roster is as long as Lindsey Lohan's conviction list, including adaptive air suspension, touch screen MMI multimedia interface with satnav and online connectivity, adaptive cruise control, full leather interior and all kinds of safety systems including lane assist, blind spot warning and pre-crash detection. Standard on the W12 is a set of individual massaging chairs and a Bose sound system, but a 1,400W Bang & Olufsen surround unit with 19-speakers is optional.

Driving it

The A8 L unsurprisingly drives with the same unwavering, relaxing composure as the standard wheelbase car. Switchable parameters for the damping, steering, gear shift timing and throttle conspire to alter the car's character slightly, but the A8 is never far away from being silky smooth - while never really sporty either.

It turns with agility for an obviously heavy and supple car, with its tight body control the result of clever active suspension that's always monitoring steering and throttle angles. And although it grips with confidence (good old quattro), it never really encourages you to test its limits. Job done then, given it's a car to be driven in more than to drive.

The eight-speed automatic, whose ratios are close and changes are rapid, combines with the W12 to tear the big limo to 62mph in a barely believable 4.7 seconds. Even so, the car is never less than settled and refined. The zooming, mechanical crescendo of the engine is dampened so as to allow only a fraction of its true bellow into the cabin.

In fact, the bellow of everything is kept pretty well out of the cabin, and it's only when reaching the unnerving echelons of autobahn speeds that wind whistle and tyre roar become slightly too apparent.

Worth Noting

Apart from opening up the possibility that cars could soon be hijacked remotely by malevolent geeks, the proliferation of internet-connected cars is an exciting one. The A8's satellite navigation, for example, can use Google for its 'points of interest' search, rather than an offline database. It will also download satellite scans from Google Earth where possible, mapping your route onto a proper three-dimensional image.

Summary

Audi's new A8 L is so efficiently refined that it's stripped of much character, though its impeccable build quality, classy design, and ensconcing sense of calmness are up with the best. Our only real issue is that, from the back seats, the L doesn't seem quite big or grandiose enough, somehow. That could be problematic at this end of the market.