A8 stretch Limo spotted

[Steve Sears]

The welds may be stronger than the base material, but aliminum is not as
elastic as steel - discussed many times in the Cromoly vs. Aluminum vs.
Carbon Fiber vs. Titanium debates in the Mountain Biking press - Steel when
loaded to, say 70-80% of "yield" (not the same as "failure", but close),
will behave virtually like an elastic - return to zero stretch.  Aluminum,
when the same is done, experiences some permanent stretch ("plastic
deformation").  The sum total of these stretches will result in failure.  If
the car is really stretched - that is, there isn't a steel frame added to
support the assembly - you would expect some deformations showing up on the
roof (ripples) and the support structure under the car (cracks) if the
driver really nails those potholes and railway crossings.
Could the car you saw be an A8L (long bodied version of the A8) - that car
looks like it could have an extra door on each side, and it comes that way
from Audi.
Steve Sears
1987 5kTQ - steel unibody
1980 5k - steel unibody
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - steel body&frame - easy to
stretch (but why?)
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