New Audi A8 Makes UK TV Debut This Weekend

September 29, 2017 by Audi

New circus-themed Audi campaign featuring the new A8 luxury saloon highlights intelligent technologies

The new Audi A8 will feature on British television for the very first time this weekend as part of a major new campaign illustrating the benefits of the latest Audi intelligent technologies.

The campaign, Clowns, follows a troupe of the eponymous circus comics as they wreak havoc on the roads, while Audi models react to the situations they become embroiled in with their hi-tech safety capabilities.

The fourth generation A8 takes on one of the film's starring roles fresh from its world debut earlier this summer. The flagship luxury saloon again sets the benchmark for Vorsprung durch Technik with a new design language, an innovative touchscreen operating concept and systematic drivetrain electrification. It is also the first production car in the world to have been developed for highly automated driving, and from 2018 will progressively introduce piloted driving functions such as parking pilot, garage pilot and traffic jam pilot into series production.

As well as the A8, which demonstrates its park assist technology, the film highlights the benefits of features such as the A5's cross traffic assist rear, the A4's quattro all-wheel-drive and the Q2's pre-sense safety system.

Benjamin Braun, Marketing Director of Audi UK, says: 'Everyone knows that Audi produces beautiful cars. But, not everyone knows they have amazing brains. Our film makes that point with great charm and wit as our cars negotiate the crazy world of the clowns with exquisite comic timing!'

The film, which airs for the first time on Sunday during the latest episode of the ITV drama series Victoria, is musically accompanied by a reinterpretation of the classic Stephen Sondheim showtune Send in the Clowns featuring the singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan. A logo will encourage viewers to Shazam the song, and for every Shazam Audi will donate money to community groups across the UK to raise awareness of Road Safety Week, beginning 20 November.

Audi Technology Glossary

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Cross traffic assist rear: Activated when engaging reverse, cross traffic assist warns drivers, who are reversing their Audi, of approaching vehicles. Radar sensors detect vehicles within a critical range and issue a warning to the driver. The initial warning is visual, red arrows point at the hazard on the MMI display, then elevate to audio and a brake jolt if necessary.

Audi pre sense city: At speeds of up to 52mph, the system scans the road for other vehicles and pedestrians with a range of up to 100 metres. If there is the threat of a collision, the driver receives a series of warnings and, if necessary, the car starts to apply the brakes fully. At speeds up to 24 mph, it can fully prevent accidents within the system limits.

quattro all-wheel-drive: quattro all-wheel drive, provides outstanding grip in extreme and every day conditions. Developed through Audi motorsport engineering, quattro is a cornerstone of our philosophy. Today it brings safety, sportiness and performance to everyday driving.

Matrix LED headlights: These provide precise illumination of the road while reducing the risk of dazzling other road users by automatically switching individual LEDs in the headlight unit on and off or dimming them as necessary. The distribution of light is similar to that of daylight, and when they are specified in conjunction with MMI Navigation Plus, the predictive route data shifts the beam in the direction of travel even before the steering wheel is turned.

Audi side assist: With its radar sensors in the rear bumper, the system monitors traffic in the driver's blind spot. When a vehicle approaches from behind, the LED warning signal lights up in the door mirrors.

Adaptive cruise control (with Stop&Go function): Regulating the car's speed automatically depending on traffic flow, this advanced feature allows for drivers to come to a complete stop and start again automatically.

Park assist: Park assist can automatically steer the car into parallel or perpendicular parking spaces. It uses ultrasonic sensors located in the front and rear bumpers and on the sides. The driver only has to accelerate, brake and shift gears.