German automakers, on the whole, do not really seem to like hybrids. Perhaps it's their innate desire to ensure complete and utter efficiency (and lugging around many hundreds of pound's worth of battery isn't exactly efficient design) that's endeared them to the diesel engine, or perhaps it's merely a certain sense of kinship to the product of Rudolf Diesel, but whatever the case neither Audi, BMW, nor Mercedes have been eager to trade their diesel drivetrains for gasoline/electric hybrid ones.
But, slowly, that has been changing, with both BMW and Mercedes offering hybrid versions of their largest and most luxurious cars. That made Audi the odd man out, until now. Having debuted at the Geneva motor show last year the new, and now official, 2012 Audi A8 hybrid will deliver a surprising 37 miles per galloncourtesy of a 2.0L TSFI four cylinder mated to an electric engine. Producing 245 horsepower and 345 pound feet of torque, the gigantic hybrid will be capable of speeds of up to 60 km/h when operating as an electric vehicle, with standard operation allowing the electric engine to power the vehicle at an impressive 100 km/h.
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