Effectively bolting together two V-6 engines, the W-12 is a smooth and powerful beast but seldom seen outside the high-end luxury car world, but some marques have been brave enough, and wise enough, in our opinion, to fit one under the hood of the more “everyday-looking cars” we are used to seeing day to day. Ultra-luxe vehicles like the

Bentley Flying Spur
, Bentley Continental, Aston Martin DBS, and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan may be the most famous W-12-boasting weapons, but back in the 2000s, one of our favorite German brands started the W-12 mill equipped in a production car craze but has since become overshadowed.

This Audi-produced luxury GT is a continuation generation of the first W-12 production cars and combines a supercar-ready engine, bundles of plush additions, lots of room for you and your passengers, and raucous performance specs considering its size. Sounds like it should be more coveted, right? Unfortunately for this Audi, it is overlooked compared to the likes of the W-12-equipped Rollers and Bentleys, but that could be an upside if you’re looking to buy one – they are a heck of a lot cheaper than used examples of models with “higher prestige”.

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The W-12-Toting Audi A8L (D3)

The Audi A8L W12 (D3), a reasonably-priced, long-wheelbase, undercover performance weapon that oozes class, comfort, and some serious horses thanks to the 6.0-liter naturally aspirated W-12 hidden behind the sporty-looking grille and the Four Rings.

Built as part of the 2004-2010 A8 lineup, the A8L (D3) is everything that Audi set out to achieve in one luxurious package: speed, comfort, and style. The best bit about it is, today, it makes for an exceptionally potent yet affordable luxury GT to buy.

2004-2010 Audi A8L W12 Average Auction Price: $20,837

The D3 A8 generation was originally offered in both short and long wheelbase configurations, hence the “L” at the end of the name for this undercover menace, and though the Audi A8 D3 generation has a low average auction price of $14,821, the prices from the sales of the A8L W12 bump things up a little to just under $21,000.

We can only put this down to the extra cargo space you get from the “L”, the more opulent size, and because of the upgraded power output you get compared to the still impressive V-6, V-8, V-10, or diesel engine options – rightly so as well. To put that into perspective, a first-gen Bentley Continental that also boasts a W-12, though more powerful, will set you back at least $48,000.

The most expensive example that has been sold via online auction in the last five years went under the hammer for a still reasonable $31,000 and was a 2009 model with a mere 35,000 miles on the clock, whereas the cheapest example that has sold recently had 144,000 miles on the clock and was rolled out in 2005.

Audi A8L W12 Performance Specifications

The powertrain that the A8L features is a naturally aspirated Volkswagen Group W-12 known as the “6.0 WR12 48v”. It boasts two banks of staggered VR6 cylinder blocks along a single crankshaft with a bank angle of 72-degrees.

Despite the A8L’s hefty curb weight of 4,370 pounds, the potent W-12 gives it a power-to-weight-ratio of 0.1 horsepower per pound of weight, putting it in the same sort of league as the 2025 Ford Mustang GT (0.12 horsepower pound), and rockets this glutenous and opulent luxury GT to 60 MPH in little over five seconds.

2:14

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The W-12 Engine: Supercar Performance In A Sedan

Blending performance with plushness
, the Audi A8L is not a GT to be trifled with. The W-12 is an engineering marvel and boasts cast aluminum heads, with four valves per cylinder, VVT, a healthy compression ratio of 10.7:1, twin vacuum-controlled secondary air-injection with sequential direct fuel injection to the exhaust ports, Bosch “E-Gas” electronically-controlled throttle valves, and a Bosch Motronic ME 7.1.1 engine management unit keeping everything moving as it should. Even in this naturally aspirated state, it is more than worthwhile for a supercar and if it was fitted to something lighter, it would make it fly.

A Hidden Luxury Powerhouse With Oodles Of Space

The short wheelbase Audi A8 D3 measures in at 198.9 inches (L) x 74.6 inches (W) x 56.9 inches (H) and rides on a 115.9-inch wheelbase, so itself is not a small car, but the A8L is lengthened to 204.4 inches and heightened to 57.3 inches and the wheelbase increases to 121 inches.

• Front Headroom. 37.4-Inches.
• Front Legroom. 41.3-Inches.
• Rear Headroom. 38.3-Inches.
• Rear Legroom. 42.3-Inches.
• Cargo Volume. 17.7 Cubic-Feet.

Aside from the ample room inside, the A8L W12 exemplifies luxury and techy additions for the time. Central to the cabin is the MMI, which marked a first for Audi with the D3 generation, and gives you control over navigation, vehicle settings, and music. In 2009, the system was upgraded with a touchscreen, but even the first iterations of the D3 lineup provide decent connectivity. A Bang & Olufsen sound system was originally available as an optional extra, while your passengers in the rear can benefit from headrest screens which were also originally optional extras.

The interior is adorned with supple leather upholstery, seats are available with heating, ventilation, and massage functions, while four-corner adaptive air suspension underneath provides a silky ride all round. From the outside, it may just look like another used sporty GT, but in fact, it is brimming with luxurious and high-end additions that are designed to elevate everything from how the A8L drives to how comfortable you and your passengers are – this is why it is so underrated and why it offers great value for money today.

Power, Smoothness, And A Sporty Driving Experience

What really sets the A8L W12 apart in the used luxury GT market, aside from the W-12, though, is how it performs all-round as a sporty machine that you wouldn’t expect. Yes, it is big and yes, it is heavy, but paired with the adaptive air suspension is

the legendary Audi Quattro All-Wheel-Drive System
, which aids in providing some über traction for when you want to show off what this covert beast can achieve off the line and in the corners.

We are not saying it is going to be as direct as driving a Corvette ZR1 through the corners, but thanks to the balanced and even ride offered by the self-leveling AWD system, the W12 boasts a mechanical central differential, limited-slip differential, and multi-link suspension on all corners – so it is useful in both the bends and cruising down the highway.

To top it all off in terms of performance, the beefy W-12 sends power to all four wheels via a silky-smooth six-speed Tiptronic auto box with adapted shift logic, which monitors throttle position and your driving style to provide you with responsive, precise, and buttery shifting – making this forgotten luxury beast into quite the performance weapon in disguise.

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Why The Audi A8L W12 Is Now A Bargain

It is no industry secret that luxury cars don’t have the best resale value and hold pretty high depreciation rates over 3, 5, and 7 years. The best luxury vehicles for value retention after 5 years include the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Lexus ES 350, and the BMW Z4, which all retain between 63 percent and 78 percent of their value. But, compared to the top three non-luxury vehicles for value retention; the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, and Toyota Land Cruiser, which hold between 73 percent and 78 percent of their value over the same time, luxury models are lagging in relative terms.

The Audi A8 is no different and loses an average of 55 percent of its value in the first five years of ownership.

Depreciation: A Used Luxury Car At An Affordable Price

When the Audi A8L W12 was released in 2003, it boasted a huge starting price of just under $120,000, and though it is a plush performance machine, its value has dropped a heck of a lot. With an average auction price of $20,837, the 22-year-old value is around 17 percent of the original value.

• 2004 Audi A8L W12 Original Price: $119,820.
• 2005 Audi A8L W12 Original Price: $118,120.
• 2006 Audi A8L W12 Original Price: $118,190.
• 2007 Audi A8L W12 Original Price: $119,350.
• 2008 Audi A8L W12 Original Price: $120,110.

The original pricing put the A8L W12 in serious high-end territory, taking on the 2003 BMW Z8’s starting price of $130,000 and the 2003 Mercedes-AMG SL55. Over 22 years of devaluation, if depreciation occurred evenly, the A8L W12 lost $4,507 of value every year.

Audi A8L W12 Running Costs And Maintenance Considerations

Another reason why the D3 generation Audi A8L W12 is also a very cheap performance GT today is because maintenance costs per year are very high. With an average maintenance bill of $1,298, it is expensive to keep on the road even compared to the average luxury full-size car maintenance bill of $976.

Another aspect that may put some drivers off is the exceptionally high fuel costs. It is no surprise, considering the full-firing 12-cylinder and hefty weight, that the Audi A8L W12 (D3) has a reported combined fuel economy rating of around 16 MPG. There is no recorded fuel costs for the W12, but the 2003 Audi A8 boasting a 330-horsepower 4.2-liter V-8 costs $3,400 a year to fuel up, or $8,500 more than owning a modern car – so we can assume it costs more than that.

While it is relatively cheap to buy considering it is a complete weapon and still a very luxurious ride, it can cost quite a lot to run and keep on the road each year. Plus, it doesn’t have the same appeal as a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, or Aston Martin.

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Racecar And Supercar DNA In Everyday Cars

The Audi A8L W12 is certainly not the only

car to be injected with supercar DNA
, and not the only one to be smuggling a beautifully powerful mill. Mainstream cars take lessons learned on the racetrack in terms of safety, aerodynamics, and tire endurance, while some road-going cars like the VW Golf R, Hyundai Elantra N, and the Kia Stinger all boast paddle shifters. Though the A8L is a heavy and solidly-built grand tourer made for smooth luxury driving, aside from the hybrid systems that add weight, even modern mainstream cars are weighing in lighter than they did a decade ago, thanks to featherweight materials that were tested out on the track and passed down from supercars.

We are also lucky to have a huge variety of

awesome sleeper models
that creep under the radar and still offer some huge horsepower thanks to beefy engines, embracing the supercar spirit for us all to enjoy at a fraction of the cost. Some of the standout sleeper models from the last couple of decades include:

• 2012 Mazdaspeed3. Features a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four that has a power output of 263-horsepower.
• 2007 Volvo 260R. Boasts a turbocharged inline-five that can produce 300 horsepower.
• 1987 Buick GNX. A legend of the sleeper car world and features a 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6 (300 horsepower).
• Mini Copper GP. Features a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four good for 301 horsepower and a 5.2-second 0-60 MPH time.
• 2004 Mercury Marauder. Features a 4.6-liter V-8 that kicks out 302 horsepower.
• Honda Civic Type R. Showcases a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that can kick out 306 horsepower.
• 2004 Infiniti M45. Boasts a 4.5-liter V-8 that can kick out 340 horsepower.
• Volkswagen Phaeton. Also boasts the VW Group W-12 that is under the hood of the A8L W12, and is good for 414 horsepower.
• 2008 Lexus IS F. Showcases a 5.0-liter V-8 good for 416 horsepower.