Pk14

Okay - if this has been beaten to death in the past forum postings, my apologies. On the fuel filler door, Audi posts that 30 psi is the recommended tire pressure for up to 3 adults and a few pieces of luggage (can't recall exactly how many, since my wife is out storming about in it as I type) and ~42 psi for 5 adults / full baggage load. Fairly large range. I have the 17" 5 spokes with ContiTouringContacts (225/55-17's). 30 psi seems low - very quiet ride - but I'm averaging ~22mpg in mixed driving. Would going to 36-38 psi (a) improve mileage (b) result in crisper handling? Thanks for your inputs! Pk

Dommi3

First of all 22MPG is excellent mileage for mixed driving, I really don't know why you consider that bad. Also, yes, it will perform a little better and you will increase your mileage ever so slightly if you do increase the tire pressure. Be sure to check the pressure absolutely first thing in the day after the car has been sitting over night. The tires must be cool to get the proper PSI read on your tire gage. Also, I wouldn't recommend over inflation if you live in a really hot part of the world like Phoenix or Las Vegas or any place with similar consistent extreme hot weather conditions. You're at risk of a blowout and that can obviously result in a life threatening situation. Also, be sure to deflate the tires down back to normal or even a bit lower than recommended if you are planning on going through any winter conditions. You'll get slightly better grip by doing so.

BTW, I thought most Audi A8L's came with 18" wheels? In my pinion if you don't have the commonly seen 18's Audi has been putting on many of the L's, consider youself lucky. I find them to be extremely conservative looking and unattractive in comparison to the 17's they've had on A8's for many years.

Keep us posted, to let us know if you have any noticeable results.

Good Luck!

dommi3/Tiburon, CA
1997 Audi A8 4.2 Quattro
Silver/Gray/17" Audi A8 Wheels
Every Available Option
---------------------------------
Previous Audi

1990 V8 Quattro

silverA8L

16 is standard in A8L, but most have 17 or 18

Dommi3

I've never once have seen an L with 16" wheels. If you ever see one even photographed please email me a copy or post it to the site. I've never seen even a regular standard A8 purchased after 1998 with anything but 17" Audi wheels unless the owner decided to change it themselves.

Just curious are you in the US?

Thanks!

dommi3/Tiburon, CA
1997 Audi A8 4.2 Quattro
Silver/Gray/17" Audi A8 Wheels
Every Available Option
---------------------------------
Previous Audi

1990 V8 Quattro

Pk14

Thanks for the post - I'm trying out 36 psi for a few weeks tro see if I can detect a difference. As I understood the literature, 16" wheels were listed as standard - my 17" wheels were considered an option - no choice in the matter as that is how I found the car when I purchased it, however - I have to agree that the 5 spoke is very attractive on the car (silver over black '01). I live on the East COast, so extreme heat is not like Vegas or Phoenix, to be sure. Pk

silverA8L

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21644/wheel.jpg"></center><p>
When we bought our A8L in 2000, the 17" combo was an option, as is the 18". It seems that most of the dealers order their cars with at least 17", but I did saw an A8L on eBay awhile back with the 16" wheels actually. They are the ring design type wheel. Photo above comes from the 2001 A8 brochure published by AoA for US.

Kelvin
A8L
silver/black
17" wheels, all options less phone (still waiting for the V60!)

WClark

I have the 12.3" A8 brakes on my A4. With the OEM 16" A4 wheels (winter tires), The caliper is maybe 1/4" (OK, maybe 3/8") from the rim of the wheel.

Since the A8L comes with 12.7" brakes, that space to the caliper with a 16" wheel must be measured in angstroms...

Dommi3

I see A8's and A8 L's all over the place, multiple times daily while driving around the Bay Area. I'm very conscious of A8's and wheels as well. I've never seen even one A8 let alone A8L's in this country with 16" wheels anything like the one's in the picture you posted. I have seen similar wheels on A8's in Europe. It's hard to read the fine print on the picture you posed but here in the States, (at lease where I am in the States) I most commonly see A8L's with the 18" wheel that is the third from the left on your picture.

Thanks for sending that. Those pictures do not even exist in the brochures we have here in the States. Ironically, they do exist in the Swedish Audi A8 Catalog I picked up while I was in Sweden.
Unfortunately I can't read what the hell it says. LOL

Do you ever see any manual transmission A8's of any kind up in Canada? I see them in Europe and that is a dream of mine.

BTW, I love what I've seen of Canada. I've been to Vancouver many times, Toronto many times, Montreal &amp; Quebec City. Love them all but my favorite little spot in all of Canada is a little town about 6 hours drive east of Vancouver called Nelson, British Columbia. Ever heard of it? Ever been there? Absolutely great place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to my next trip there.

Once again thanks for the time and effort I really appreciate it!

dommi3/Tiburon, CA
1997 Audi A8 4.2 Quattro
Silver/Gray/17" Audi A8 Wheels
Every Available Option
---------------------------------
Previous Audi

1990 V8 Quattro

silverA8L

The fine prints read:

A range of cars, an array of wheels:
A- 16" ring design, standard on the A8 and A8 L
B- 17" 5-spoke design, optional on the A8 and A8 L
C- 18" 10-slot design, optional on the A8 L only
D- 18" Avus design, standard on the S8

Also, if you spec a A8L in the AoA website, the 17" Forged Wheels w/ All-season Tires is a $1000 option, 18" Hollow Spoke is $1900 and 10 Spoke wheel is $1500, that's from the USA site, NOT the Canada site.

I haven't seen many A8s in Toronto before we bought ours. However, there seems to be a lot more newer post 00' A8/S8's in Toronto (Actually, I've only seen 2 S8s on the road, both were black). The sales person said only a handful of A8/S8s come to Canada (something like less than 1000 each year)...