Audi Uses Cigar, Bucket Of Water To Demonstrate A8's Smooth Ride

In a never-ending video campaign following the A8's reveal, Audi is back with more footage about its new flagship. Eddie Sinclair, the director of a VIP chauffeur company, was asked by the four-ring company to check out the interior of the fullsize sedan and then take it for a spin to see if he likes it or not. Obviously, he's a big fan.

But first, he was given a task: to drive the car with a bucket of water on the hood placed by Audi's head of development for vehicle dynamics, Victor Underberg. Needless to say, he had to make sure no water would get spilled while doing a full lap of the track. His run was almost perfect. Almost because at the 1:13 mark you can see some drops of water do hit the windshield.

The unusual test was conducted to prove the A8's smoothness on the road and was further demonstrated in another experiment using a cigar placed on top the dashboard while driving on a bumpy road. Eddie had to make sure it would not roll over, which it didn't.

After chauffeuring big names such as Google co-founder Lawrence Edward "Larry" Page and actor Johnny Depp, time came for him to jump on the back seat of the new A8 while Audi's Victor Underberg took the wheel.

It goes without saying Eddie was impressed with the quality of the new crown jewel from Ingolstadt, praising its build quality and describing the ride experience as like being on a magic carpet. Why does that sound familiar?

In yet another video, Audi talks about the summer and winter fragrances created specifically for the 2018 A8 and available in four selectable intensities. These are part of the Air Quality package and come out through the side air vents. Robertet, the oldest perfume house in the world, was responsible for creating the fragrances at its headquarters in Grasse, southern France, which is considered to be the world's capital of perfume. Interestingly, the dispenser continues to work for a further two minutes after switching off the engine.

Customer deliveries of the 2018 Audi A8 in both standard and long-wheelbase versions will begin in Germany this fall. Production at the factory in Neckarsulm has already started.