“Signore, il vine e` una cosa viva… wine is alive, it is best enjoyed in

A8Teutonic
Masterpiece
by Giovanni Tomasi
“Signore, il vine
e’ una cosa viva…
wine is alive, it is best
enjoyed in its natural
environment.”
Photos: Giovanni Tomasi
Augusto Zappalà, wine sommelier
at l’Antica Trattoria la Speranzina
W I N T ER 2 0 11
Q UAT T RO Q UART ERL Y
29
A8 TEUTONIC MASTERPIECE
“SIGNORE, IL VINO E` UNA COSA VIVA…WINE IS ALIVE, IT IS
best enjoyed in its natural environment.” The words of Augusto
Zappalà, wine sommelier at l’Antica Trattoria la Speranzina, one of
the best restaurants on Lago di Garda, echoed in my mind as we
were approaching 240 Km/hr (150 mph) on the autobahn just north
of Munich the last day of our journey. Augusto was explaining why
some of the finest wines from the Garda region, such as Lugana
and Gromello, tend to lose part of their voluptuousness when
savored across the ocean. Likewise, the new 2011 Audi A8 4.2 FSI
is best savored in its environment: the open sections of the German
autobahn.
The new A8 is like the finest wine, impossible to describe by a
simple chemical analysis. Soil, temperature, rain, sun, age of the
vines, and the skilled hands of the winemaker all played a role in
creating the end masterpiece. So is the A8 a vehicle that cannot
30
be depicted through simple specifications. It would not do the
masterpiece justice. On the technological side it is the culmination
of progress that began when Andrew Horch produced his first
automobile. The luxury is what nearly every automotive publication
worldwide has acclaimed as the benchmark for other automakers
that with the 2011 A8 has moved farther upward.
Performance abounds: 0 to 60 mph acceleration under five
seconds and nearly 0.9gs on the skidpad, embodying the spirit
of the many Audi’s piloted on dirt, snow, mountain roads, and
racetracks by greats such as Derek Bell, Michele Alboreto, Michelle
Mouton, and Walter Rörhl, just to name a few. All this orchestrated
in a symphony that pleases the senses under all conditions, from
triple digit speed on the autobahn to leisurely cruising country
back roads.
The A8 puts driver and passengers in a state of being where
quality and luxury are appreciated and expected not only in the
driving experience but every aspect of the journey. And as I found
out this can be a costly — but well worth it proposition. After all,
how can you disembark from the ultimate five star ride and accept
anything but the best dining and lodging Europe has to offer?
Fast rewind to two weeks earlier. Linda and I had arrived in
Hamburg for a series of meetings with a German business partner
and their international agents representing nearly every corner of
the world. A 2011 Audi A8 with the brand new direct fuel injection
4.2 liter V-8 was waiting for us in Munich later that week, to take
us on a journey through Austria to Trieste, Milano, Como, and Lago
di Garda before returning to the USA. Although business was the
primary motive for our trip, I have learned in the course of many
Q UAT T RO Q UAR T ERL Y
WI NT ER 2 0 11
European travels that it is nearly impossible not to also find pleasure.
Family members strategically located through Northern Italy further
add to the enjoyment side of the voyage. Our Hamburg hosts were
outstanding, combining very productive technical and commercial
discussions with fine dining and entertaining. The mention of the
waiting A8 was always followed by inevitable nods of approval from
our German and international colleagues, often paired with fond
stories of past adventures at the wheel of an Audi.
The Munich airport is a showcase of German efficiency and
modern architectural design, with the Audi Forum situated right on
the main square of the Airport Centre. In this high end showcase
one can see the latest Audi models while sipping espresso or
enjoying other refreshments. German automakers often use the
Airport Centre to launch their newest models with majestic displays
and it just so happened that the Audi A1 was the featured vehicle.
Although it may be the entry level Audi, the degree of refinement is
typically found in cars costing more than twice the A1.
After admiring the diminutive A1, we headed for the Forum
to pick up the other end of the Audi spectrum, the ultra luxurious
silver 2011 A8 4.2 FSI with brown leather and alacantra interior
awaiting us.
Given that “light packing” is an option we did not exercise
on this two week long European journey combining business
and leisure in a variety of climatic conditions, the A8 ample trunk
was perfect for the task of carrying our luggage. The legendary
Audi interior had been further improved for 2011 with small but
significant touches such as a navigation screen that discretely rises
from the dashboard, white LEDs throughout the cabin that gently
illuminate without glare to driver and passengers, and highly intuitive
Multi-Mode Interface (MMI) system, called by one publication
“the gold standard of automotive infotainment…”, allowing every
possible function to be set including ride firmness, throttle response,
steering effort, and security features. Having learned the hard way
on a previous trip to Germany the essentiality of a navigation system
communicating in a language that I am fluent in, and German
unfortunately does not make the short list, we immediately set the
verbal communication to English!
The 372 hp engine is brought to life by depressing an aluminum
button located on the center console, producing a subdued rumble
with virtually no vibration even at high RPM. As the gear selector
is moved to reverse, the image from a rear camera appears on the
navigation screen, showing the path based on the steering angle
through the use of clear graphics. Audible signals warn the driver
of approaching obstacles. When drive is selected, the standard
“D” mode is engaged, utilizing all eight (yes — eight!) gears for
a reported highway fuel efficiency of 27 mpg. A sport “S” mode
is available with another pull of the lever, where only the lower
six gears are used and shifts are at higher rpm for improved
responsiveness. As an option, immediate downshifts or upshifts are
prompted by tugging on the steering wheel mounted paddles. In true
A8 style, downshifts happen as if executed by the best professional
driver through perfect double-clutch, heel-and-toe downshifts.
The navigation system we named Bridget, due to her British
English accent, promptly set the course for my native city of Trieste
through Austria for the 500 plus kilometers journey. The 91 liter
fuel tank ensured a range of over 870 km, assuming a sedate rather
Photos: Giovanni Tomasi
W I N T ER 2 0 11
Q UAT T RO Q UART ERL Y
31
A8 TEUTONIC MASTERPIECE
than spirited driving style. The early afternoon autobahn traffic
was relatively light with a number of unlimited speed limit zones
immediately after the airport and up to the border with Austria.
Germany has a very efficient system of speed management; limits
and other pertinent information are displayed on LED lit signs
spanning across the roadway. In rush hour the speed limits are set
to maintain safety but as traffic gets lighter, the white circle with the
grey border and slanted line is displayed indicating that speed is at
the sole discretion of man and machine. Slower traffic yields to faster
approaching cars by staying or moving right. The A8 settled into a
comfortable 180 km/hr (112 mph) feeling quiet, safe, and secure
while eating up asphalt at over 160 feet per second.
Austria unfortunately has adopted the approach to traffic
management of most other European countries by imposing a limit
of 130 km/hr (81 mph) on their autobahn and strictly enforcing
it, restricting the high speed escapades to open stretches with
good visual range or tailing spirited driving locals knowledgeable
of the non-enforced sectors. As soon as we crossed the border
between Germany and Austria, today marked only by a sign stating
“Österreich,” the A8 navigation system immediately displayed
the new speed limit. However its high level of sophistication and
intelligence was demonstrated on the A10 autobahn through the
Austrian Alps while we were admiring the scenery both inside and
outside the cockpit. The system, which
32
incorporates a traffic monitoring feature, recommended a detour
through Gmünd to miss a large traffic jam further down the A10.
Although Gmünd’s history dates back to the Roman days when it
was a stopping place for travelers and the city was officially founded
by the Archbishop of Salzburg in 1252, it is best known for housing
the Porsche vehicle manufacturing company from 1944 to 1950,
moved there originally to escape Allied bombings of Zuffenhausen.
Here the first 50 Porsche 356 masterpieces were created in a sawmill
using primarily manual labor, aluminum sheets shaped with hammers
over wood forms, and a superhuman dose of engineering excellence.
As not to tempt fate and earn the ire of the automotive gods, we
made the mandatory stop at the Porsche museum. I realized that I
was re-acclimating to the Italian way when I justified the detour and
additional delay in our arrival in Trieste: ”…we are already one hour
behind schedule, what’s another thirty minutes?”
Trieste is the northernmost seaport in the Mediterranean and
has a very colorful history, with the first settlement dating back to
nearly 3,000 years B.C. Romans gained control of the region in 177
B.C. making it a prosperous center of trade. After its share of wars
with neighboring Venice — after all, who better to fight with but
your next door neighbor — in 1382 Trieste petitioned to become
part of the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg Empire under which it
Q UAT T RO Q UAR T ERL Y
WI NT ER 2 0 11
remained until its annexation to Italy in 1918 after World War I.
The 500 plus years of Austrian influence have given Trieste a certain
air of Habsburg regality, neatness, and efficiency more in tune with
the Teutonic culture than the more casual-going cities of central and
southern Italy.
Approaching Trieste via the very picturesque Strada Costiera,
one is welcomed by a breathtaking view of the city framed by
mountains and the Adriatic. However, the predicted rainstorm
that we managed to avoid in the previous 500 kilometers through
Germany, Austria, and Friuli, greeted us in its full force making any
attempt to see beyond the immediate side of the road completely
futile — not to mention soaking us completely as we unloaded our
luggage into the home of our hosts Francesco and Irene.
Some of the features of the A8, including the night vision
camera capable to discern humans and animals, highlighting them
in yellow boxes on the console mounted display, and the distance
sensors, became very welcome accessories when driving in poor
visibility and maneuvering in the very tight side roads.
One evening we ventured into Slovenia with my relatives for
dinner at a restaurant nested amongst the vineyards in the hilly
countryside. Navigating the A8 through the winding roads was a
true pleasure, reminding me more of a nimble two door coupe than
a 4,400 lbs sedan. A lot has been said about Audi’s use of aluminum
to lighten the body by 40 percent, the multilink suspension with
advanced shock valving, and the near elimination of power-on
understeer. Pages of specifications cannot explain the feel of this
ultra-luxury cruiser carving the gently rolling hills and winding roads
as the afternoon sun is setting over the Slovenian countryside.
W I N T ER 2 0 11
Q UAT T RO Q UART ERL Y
Primorska just south of Trieste is one of Slovenia’s prime wine
growing regions known for both its reds and whites. I was looking
forward to savoring at least a glass of the local product with the
fresh fish and local meats but my cousin and fellow designated driver
Roberto explained that Slovenia has one of the strictest drinking and
driving laws in Europe, where even traces of alcohol will prompt the
confiscation of the vehicle. After imagining the possibility of a very
awkward call to Audi of Ingolstadt, we both toasted the other (wine
drinking) dinner participants with the local Radenska mineral water!
Our next destination was my family home in Carimate, a small
town about 20 kilometers outside Como. But rather than undertake
the five hour trip from Trieste and run the risk of getting caught in
the Milan Friday traffic, we decided to make a stop in the town of
Sirmione located on a peninsula on the southern shore of Lago di
Garda, renowned for its therapeutic health baths since the Roman
days. The town is still guarded by a medieval castle built in the
1200s by Mastino della Scala, the lord of Verona, with its high
walls, towers, and fortified harbor. To this day it is only accessible
through what used to be the main gate and drawbridge, taking the
visitor into a time warp, blending medieval streets and buildings with
modern stores, restaurants, and the highest concentration of gelaterie
to be found anywhere.
The A8 exudes luxury and style so it was only natural that the
navigation system took us right to the Grand Hotel Terme, sited just
outside the walled city. As the gate opened, the A8 felt right at home
in the neatly manicured courtyard of one of Italy’s finest five star
resorts. The hotel room, priced at what amounts to a small monthly
mortgage, had a terrace overlooking the entrance of the town and
33
A8 TEUTONIC MASTERPIECE
the castle walls, perfect for enjoying that glass of Lugana before
heading out for a stroll and dinner in the ancient town. Returning to
the hotel in the late hours of the evening, the streets were almost
empty and the castle was illuminated in this extraordinary white light
accentuating the balance between the massiveness of its bastions with
the flowing design. A great photo op for two stunning masterpieces,
one static and one dynamic, separated by almost 800 years!
The next morning before departing for Carimate, we asked to
take a photo of the A8 in front of the Hotel’s main entrance. A
bell lady offered to position the car for us, but as soon as she sat in
the cockpit she exclaimed: “Questa e` una nave spaziale…This is a
spaceship, not a simple automobile!” and kindly handed the keys
back to me.
Many sections of the Italian Autostrada use a speed monitoring
system called Tutor where license plates are randomly recorded by
cameras located several kilometers apart; the speed is calculated then
a ticket is mailed to transgressors. However, based on some reputable
sources, Italian authorities found that their German counterparts
were less than enthusiastic to disclose information about drivers
piloting their automobiles at what was considered reasonable speeds
in the Motherland. Just like machinery sporting the Prancing Horse
and Fighting Bull, with the “Prova” (test) license plates warrant a
Get-out-of-Jail card around Maranello and Sant’Agata, so it seems
that German license plates are given those extra 30-40 km/hr on
the Autostrada. Not quite the open speed limit of the autobahn, but
cruising at 100 mph without worries was still OK by me!
The entire trip was memorable, punctuated by many
unforgettable moments: Driving with my parents to the Paul
and Shark clothing outlet in Varese where Linda “saved”
the equivalent of the GNP of a medium size country, while
singlehandedly turning around the Northern Italian economy. My
mother’s only complaint about the A8 being that it needed five
point harnesses in the back. We answered with pride questions from
the innumerable admirers peeking through the A8 windows and
commenting about her lines. While relaxing on Lago di Garda and
sipping Lugana, we were pampered by the staff of the Grand Hotel
Terme, attentive to every detail. Hearing the sound of the waves
dining at l’Antica Trattoria la Speranzina, the staff made sure that
our experience in Sirmione would be timeless as the Castello itself.
Even getting soaked in a water hose fight while washing the A8
with my eight-year-old nephew Tommaso was memorable. Lastly,
walking around Munich the evening before the start of Oktoberfest,
we listened to bands playing classical music in the main town
square. There is an indescribable feeling of a true masterpiece in its
own environment: the A8’s V-8 singing on those open sections of
the autobahn.
After having returned the A8 at the Audi Forum, Linda and I sat
at the Airport Centre enjoying our last beer before our flight home
with our new found friend Hans (Audi Driver Bear). We grinned,
toasted, and concluded that: “Life is Good…especially in a 2011 A8
4.2 FSI at 150 mph!”
Photo: Giovanni Tomasi
…as she sat in the cockpit she
exclaimed: “Questa è una nave
spaziale…This is a spaceship, not
a simple automobile!” and kindly
handed the keys back to me.
34
Q UAT T RO Q UAR T ERL Y
WI NT ER 2 0 11