Regarding the A8L Horch Founders Edition, which was just released last week, "pretentious" is the most adjective I can think of. Maybe some people will agree, maybe some people will be dissatisfied, don't worry, and listen to me in detail.
In fact, as early as 2018, the news that Audi was going to resurrect the name "Horch" had already reached my ears, and since then, I have begun to look forward to the "old Ho" that will be resurrected in the new era.
Until this year, it was finally confirmed that the name of "Horch" will be resurrected through the body of A8L, and there are rumors such as "W12 is expected to return, the sword is mayhem Maybach S-class", which makes me full of infinite expectations.
However, when the real A8L Horch Founder Edition was released, when I saw its true face, I not only did not feel the surprise I had hoped for, but even a little disappointed. Maybe I'm expecting it too much, or maybe it's really not perfect, in short, it's far from the "Horch" in my heart.
The exterior does have some exclusive features, new light sets, new front faces, exclusive wheels, chrome silver rearview mirrors, exclusive badges, exclusive livery... All of this seems to be trying to highlight the noble identity of its founder's version.
But even so, it looks more like a mid-term modification of the A8L at first glance, and perhaps the longer body is in line with the "atmosphere" aesthetic of the Chinese people, but it almost does not reflect any sense of "preciousness" that should be there.
Its front face is so much like the A3 or the A4 before the redesign, and its wheels are so "Maybach". Although I don't want to believe it, this is a well-known and undeniable fact.
Even in the car, in addition to the larger rear space, as well as the "HORCH" logo everywhere, there is almost no difference between the other and the ordinary A8L, can such a performance really have the strength of the "Maybach S-class"?
The most important thing is that as a top flagship model, the A8L Horch founder version is equipped with a 3.0T V6+ 48V light hybrid power system in the eyes of everyone, corresponding to Audi's tail tag is the 55 TFSI version, and even less than the top standard version of the A8L (4.0T V8 engine).
The above is inevitably too "low-key" for a "top special edition" model, the Maybach S-class next door is still a monopoly, and Audi is still not competitive in the field of "ultra-luxury executive cars".
And! At first, all of us thought that this A8L, bearing the name of its founder Horch, would exist in a symbolic, commemorative, limited edition form, but now we know that it is only available in the Chinese market... This inevitably gives people the illusion of "Chinese people have more money than stupid people", and even if you want to show off your feelings, how many people in "Horch" in China really understand?
Maybe someone has begun to question me: it has done a good job, is it necessary to be so strict?
That's right, I can't fault this car alone, but as the "ceiling" model of the A8 family, a sedan positioned to rival the Maybach S-Class, a product bearing the name of the founder of "Horch", it is really a bit unremarkable.
As a fan who can almost infinitely embrace the Audi brand, the A8L Horch Founder's Edition is already excellent, but it is still a little less precious and prestigious.