Audi A8

But if you looked closely, the future seemed very rosy. One model that got engineers and designers hot under the collar more than any other was the aluminium-bodied Audi A8. Today, we have come to accept aluminium cars as nothing unusual, but in 1994 they were about as far-fetched as a luxury saloon made from Camembert. Now, eight years after it first defied the sceptics, Audi has an all-new A8, which is due on sale next spring. The design is an impressive blend of flowing lines, generous wide radius curves and tidy details. The cabin - as with the exterior - combines the simplicity of the original car's interior with a generous helping of hi-tech gadgetry.

Gone are the rows of switches and buttons that used to pack the centre console, replaced by what Audi calls its Multi Media Interface (MMI), which controls the car's entertainment and information systems. Despite being operated by a BMW iDrive-style 'wheel' just behind the gearshift, the device is both more attractive and easier to use. There are significant improvements in other areas of the cabin, too.

Rear space has increased - especially the headroom - while the fit and finish of the dashboard is first class. Only the boot has let the side down - its capacity is reduced by 25 litres to 500 litres. Underneath its subtle lines, the A8 is a technical feast. Aside from the spaceframe body - which Audi claims is 60 per cent stiffer than before - there's a new four-link suspension system at the front and gas uprights all round. By using compressed air rather than coiled metal as a springing medium, the design allows for closer control of body movements and a more comfortable ride. In practice, it works exceptionally well.

The ride quality in all three suspension modes - dynamic, comfort and automatic - is smooth and absorbent, ironing out the sort of bumps that would have sent shockwaves through the previous model. Another advantage of the air-suspension is that it's given the car a level of agility its predecessor could only have dreamed of. With body roll under control and the new front end working in harmony with the rest of the car, the A8 has a lightness of foot that belies its size - not surprising, perhaps, when you learn that the 1,770kg newcomer is more than half-a-ton lighter than its VW Phaeton rival.

Two V8 engines will be available at launch - a 3.7 and 4.2 litre - both of which have been carried over from the old car. A revised version of Audi's 3.3-litre TDI and the mighty W12 - neither of which was offered in the UK in the previous A8 - will join the new range late next year, along with an entry-level 3.0-litre V6. On the road, the powerplants are as smooth as you would expect. The 280bhp 3.7 litre is arguably the sweeter unit, with a more progressive power delivery and calmer nature. But the new six-speed gearbox is the star of the show. Although it can feel fussy in Drive - it often wants to leap between ratios just as you need power - selecting Sport mode locks out top and has the uncanny knack of being in exactly the right gear at the right time. Optional paddle shifts also let you flick though the cogs at will.

Audi has revealed prices for the German market which are 10 per cent higher than the old model's. In the UK, where sales in the luxury class have tailed off in recent years, the firm must do its sums carefully next spring.