RE: what was first year of the A8 in the US?

["Dupree, Jim" <dupree@alldata.com>]

According to the Audi repair manual set on my shelf (Note: this is not based
on experience, just a book):
The A8 4.2L Quattro came with a 5 spd. 01L transmission, code DPZ
manufactured from 7/96 to 10/96 and code DSM manufactured from 11/96 to
12/96 and code DTE from 1/97 on. 
The 3.7L Front Wheel drive A8 came with a 5 spd. 01V transmission, code CJZ
manufactured from 7/95 on.
These are ZF transmissions (HP 24 I believe).
No mention of a 4 spd. Trans. but the shift console illustration is of a non
Tiptronic shifter assembly.
Jim Dupree


		-----Original Message-----
		From:	TM [mailto:mizutanit@mindspring.com]
		Sent:	Thursday, November 18, 1999 2:09 PM
		To:	Virtual Bob; Quattro List
		Subject:	RE: what was first year of the A8 in the US?

		No,
		The A8 came out in the US with a 4-speed. The '98s came with
a
		5-spd. Tiptronic, as I said before. I _drove_ a Euro-spec A8
		in '96 with a 4-spd. Tip. For whatever reason, they did not
		bring the Tiptronic to the US for the first model year.

		There are conversion kits because there was a 4-spd. Tip in
		Europe.

		I wonder if Audi still uses the same ZF trannies that they
used
		in the V8? If that's the case, one could presumably convert
a
		BMW 7 series or a Merc S-Class to Tiptronic, given
sufficient
		time, funds and willpower. :-) I'd love to have an E500 Tip.

		I stand corrected on the European A8 intro date- I honestly
don't
		know exactly when they came out, but they were available in
1995.
		First looks maybe in 1993, but I saw the A8 prototype in
1993,
		the wild chrome-looking one, still labeled Audi ASF, not A8.
I doubt
		that the finalized car was available to the press until 1994
at the
		earliest.

		Regards,
		Taka Mizutani

		-----Original Message-----
		From: owner-quattro@audifans.com
[mailto:owner-quattro@audifans.com]On
		Behalf Of Virtual Bob
		Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 3:35 PM
		To: Quattro List
		Subject: RE: what was first year of the A8 in the US?


		> You're off by a year- the promo vehicles toured in 1996
and the A8
		> was available for MY 1997. '97 A8s had a non-Tiptronic 4
spd. auto,
		> the only year for that tranny. '98s went to the 5-spd.
Tip. A8s were
		> out in Europe in 1995.

		A8 were out in summer '94 in Europe; handful of Euro mags
may have some
		"first looks" on the A8 beginning in around '93.

		I belive all A8 had 5-speed. For U.S., the "Tiptronic" shift
gate was
		simply changed. There are conversion kits available for '97
models to make
		it Tip.