s4master1

Much discussion has this topic generated with many different opinions and mostly confusing ones.
this is not a new concept in glass or even in automotive glass.
contrary to some believe, it does not make it harder to break if anything is easier.
most important factors for its application are sound deadening and climate control.
we all know how cars with type of glass are generally quieter.
now for the climate control, try getting into a car that has it and one without at let's say 50f outside temp and you will find that the car with double glass is warmer.
try the same with an outside temp of 100f and you will find the car with the double glass is cooler.
this is not so obvious in Audi but in Benz you can tell a huge difference specially on cold nights, this is due to a combination of materials used in the cabin as well leather treatment.
reason why maintains temp is because of the gas used in between the two layers of glass.
is just gravity filled as is heavier than air and the glass is sealed afterwards at the top, a small space is left empty 2.2% of gas capacity for expansion as it expands with heat and it would break the glass.
been heavier and thicker than air makes it a good insulator and the fact that expands and contracts with temp change helps keep the cabin at a more comfortable level than it's surroundings.
resistance wise is actually weaker than a single layer glass.
the glass in the A8 video has been banned for side windows since forever as it would prevent people from being rescued in case of accidents and has no direct travel direction against road projectiles as stones and the like.

mishar

I must say that I am disappointed. I thought it would be dual pane glazing like BMW and Mercedes and it is cheap surrogate. That makes Audi glass wise distant third (if even that) and I am disappointed. Of course if I paid a big bucks for “special glass” I would have to believe that it is something, but fortunately I didn’t. I do not have to believe that it is superior sound insulation when I know that such thin layer of plastic in-between two layers of glass is only good to keep them together if broken. I do not have to forget that most of noise is coming through the floor and fire wall.

For that matter, I am glad I didn’t pay tens of thousands for that weird W12 so now I feel free to compare it with V12. I can say that V12 is two inline six’s joined together at the crankshaft, twice the smoothness of the naturally balanced inline six, when W12 is two V6 joined with all crankshaft problems doubled. I don’t have to like its uneven firing order, wedged pistons, crowded heads and so on. I might even dare to think about front differential a foot closer to the front that would accommodate V12 and get rid of that infamous heavy nose that runs braking and handling.

Somebody may come to the conclusion that I do not like my A8, but that would be totally wrong. I love my Audi. I just love free thinking more.

Mike_k

Glass is an issue so few people concern themselves with that in my opinion it's a non-issue.

As far as the W12 versus a V12, again, non-issue to me. The W12 is smooth as silk and a relatively trouble-free motor. The same can't be said for Mercedes Bi-turbo V12 and it's issues nor BMW's valvetronic problems.

That said, the Bi-turbo, 500hp Merc V12 is just sick. It's just ashame it's wrapped in such a turd car (W220).

ModestW12

I don't quite see the confusion. Earlier Mercedes did use gas filled dual pane windows (for example the MB W140) but the newer MB's use dual pane PVB laminate just like BMW and Audi. See this Benzworld thread:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w220...s-problem.html

I would have to agree that dual pane gass filled windows would break easier than a single pane of the same overall thickness but these are not the type of windows discussed in this thread.

As far as dual pane laminate, while I can concede that a pane might possibly crack under less force from a specific type of impact than a single pane window of equivalent overall thickness, it is certainly more difficult to penetrate in instances of forced entry, foreign projectiles or object intrusions in the case of a rollover or accident.

The glass in the A8 video is not banned, I have it in my car. You can get it in the new D4's. Per the link above, MB uses it too.

Your point about making it harder to get out of a car with laminated windows is valid but I've read it is easier to force the window out from the inside (due to it being concave from the inside) than force in from the outside (due to it being convex) as well as the way the windows seals hold it in place. Along the same lines as a chic hatching out of an egg but against external forces, the egg provides protection.

BigGrasshopper

Having had a robber go to town on my D3 windows with this type of glass, it was exceedingly difficult for them to break in. The windows "spider-webbed" where hit (3 of my 4 side windows before they tried a new tactic).

Instead, they just pulled the window out by working the seals apparently with a crowbar and bending it down until it eventually split in the middle and folded over on itself, which must've taken several hundred pounds of force.

They were not able to put a hole in any of the windows.

I would never suggest that this glazing would stop any sufficiently pointy object at high velocity. But at human arm velocity, they stand up pretty well...in addition to the sound dampening qualities.

yetis

I commented earlier on this subject. My old Cayenne Turbo had real dual glass and it was not only cooler but significantly quieter. I searched hi and low for an Audo with real dual pain glass and to no avail. I would note that I did find an alternative. It is 3m crystalline tint. While it might have some very modest sound deadening benefits, it does an even better job (then the dual pain glass) of keeping the car cool. The only downside is that you cannot get the front window done, without a special permit. Having the front done, would make all the difference in the world.