Audi To Phase Out The W12 Engine, A8 Will Be The Last Model To Offer It

Audi originally introduced the A8 W12 in 2001 and it appears the sun is going to set on the ultra-luxurious model.

Car and Driver reports Audi technical development boss, Peter Mertens, used the Geneva Motor Show to reveal the new A8 will become the company’s last model to offer the W12 engine. As Mertens explained, “There are customers who really want the 12-cylinder and they are happy with it and are going to get it. But this is going to be the last installation” of the engine.

Bentley will continue to use the W12 engine but Audi apparently decided it wasn’t worth the effort. There’s no word on how many A8 W12s the company has sold but it’s probably safe to assume it’s only a small fraction of overall sales.

Audi hasn’t released too many details about the 2019 A8 W12 but the magazine says the engine will be rated at 585 hp (436 kW). This is slightly less than what it produces in the Bentley Continental GT where it develops 626 hp (467 kW) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. However, it’s significantly more than the A8 55 TFSI which has a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that produces 335 hp (250 kW) and 368 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. It enables the A8 L to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.7 seconds before hitting a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

While it will be sad to see the W12 dropped from the lineup, it could be one of a handful of engines facing a similar fate. Mertens suggested the combination of Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedures and a focus on electric vehicles will push the Volkswagen Group to reduce its extensive engine lineup. As he noted, “Think of every engine and transmission combination that has to be homologated. That’s a hell of a job we are doing.”

One of the engines on the chopping block might be the naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 that resides in the R8. Mertens recently said the model won’t be replaced after its current generation ends so it wouldn’t be surprising if the engine was dropped by Audi at that point.