As we roll into a new decade, performance sedans are being reinvented all across the board. Fuel economy continues to be an important purchasing concern, but American drivers also want feel the power behind their wheels when they put the hammer down. Audi's 2010 A8 blends together a perfect compromise between performance and practicality with its new 4.2 Liter Supercharged V8, which is available as an optional engine package on this unmistakably elegant luxury sedan.

First and foremost, it should be noted that the A8 will come equipped with the same cylinder deactivation technology that is becoming mainstream on many of today's consumer trucks. While this technology is not necessarily anything new, it does mean that Audi's new generation of performance sedans will leisurely sip gasoline whenever you're on the highway, while still giving you all the power and acceleration that you've come to expect from their sports cars. Drivers can expect to get about 24 miles to the gallon on the highway, which is quite respectable for an engine package of this size.

When the car is running on all eight cylinders, it will generate approximately 350 horsepower at 6,800 RPM. The V8 will come mated to the same high performance eight-speed automatic transmission that comes standard in BMW 7-series sedans. Standard all-wheel drive will mean that every bit of that power will be available to you in a package that will feel much more controllable, and responsive to your particular driving demands. This is definitely a car that is built to appeal to a classy audience of drivers; mature and refined enough in appearance to blend in with the business crowd, but with enough under the hood to give the inner child in all of us all the fun we could possibly want on a Sunday afternoon drive.

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