New Audi A8 L Horch Founders Edition Unveiled In China To Rival Maybach, Won’t Be Sold In U.S.

Audi is looking to pump up the luxury quotient on its A8 with a new, even longer, even more luxurious take on the premium sedan that mimics Mercedes’ Maybach sub-brand. Sadly, Americans looking for this level of luxury in their A8 won’t be able to get the Horch edition. However, the Horch is based on the upcoming facelifted 2022MY A8 which will be offered in North America.

Longer Than The Long Wheelbase A8

Unveiled in China ahead of the Guangzhou Auto Show, the A8L Horch Founder’s Edition starts with a long-wheelbase A8 and adds another 130 mm (five inches) to it. The grille, meanwhile, has been modified to feature more chrome and to give it an even more luxurious feel. That is matched by digital matrix LED headlights with intricate DRLs.

Down the side of the vehicle, there are more additions. The wheels, which remind of some designs from Bentley as well as Maybach, are 20-inches across and of unique design and their center cap features a Horch H, as does a little design flourish at the back of the rear-door window.

Read Also: Audi Confirms More Luxurious A8 Flagship, May Revive Horch Name To Rival Mercedes-Maybach

The word “Horch” can be found spelled out just behind the front wheel arch and just below the right-side taillight. The latter nameplate sits under advanced OLED taillights that feature a new design of their own.

The Founder’s edition will come with two exclusive exterior colors: Oakrun and Nimbusgrau. They are designed to accentuate the car’s stylistic sensibilities. If you want to do a little more highlighting, though, two-tone paint schemes are also available.

Extra Length For Extra Space

The real reason that the A8L Horch Founder’s Edition has been lengthened isn’t to make it more imposing. Rather, the car has been extended to give passengers an even more luxurious place to sit.

Design flourishes have also been strewn about the interior, with Horch logos embroidered into the rear center armrest, into the pillows that come with the car, and there’s a logo that glows on the side sill when you enter the car.

Diamond-quilted leather adorns the seats and the door cards. The former have also been filled with twice the usual amount of cushioning to make them extra soft and comfortable. As with the A8, this model comes with foot massagers for rear-seat passengers, as well as back massagers in both the front and the rear seats.

There’s Tech, Too

Featuring the latest infotainment technology, the front seat passengers get two screens to touch through menus, while the rear seat passengers get a central touch system of their own. A host of Audi connected features also help assure that you’re never left without the ability to close a deal or entertain yourself.

Advanced driver assistance features will keep you safe, while an intelligent automatic parking system will get you into any spot despite the car’s extra length. A hidden liftable acoustic prism, thick carpeting, and a wealth of speakers ensure that a rich soundscape is created no matter the music you listen to.

Powering It All

Somewhat surprisingly, Audi hasn’t opted for the biggest engine available to it. Instead of a V8, the four-ring brand has opted for a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with a 48-volt system that makes 335 hp (340 PS/250 kW).

It Previews The Facelifted 2022 Audi A8 Too

A 2022 Audi A8 prototype spied recently in Europe

As one of our readers noticed (thanks Dave!), the Horch is based on the refreshed 2022 Audi A8, as evidenced by the claw-shaped front headlights and the revised front bumper openings that match what we’ve seen in recent prototypes like the one pictured above. We can’t say for sure if and what other changes will be shared between the regular 2022 A8 and the Horch A8 L, but Audi isn’t planning any significant revisions this time around as it prepares for the electric future of the series.

No Horch For You, America

The new A8L Horch is expected to be sold in markets other than China but an Audi USA spokesperson told us today that there will be no Horch for the U.S. market. Whether A8 L Horch models for other regions will differ from this one remains to be seen but Chinese media reported that this particular model has been designed specifically for local customers.