Audi plans a new luxury flagship in the A8 range

Audi plans to launch a new flagship that may become a rival to the Mercedes-Maybach S class.

The company said last week at its annual meeting that its range-topping A8 sedan line will be expanded to include a "new, luxurious" derivative.

«We are thinking about revolutionizing the top-end class with a completely new concept for the A8» Ceo Bram Schot told shareholders.

The A8 family currently consists of short- and a long-wheelbase versions of Audi's flagship sedan.

Audi's promise to shareholders that the new member of the A8 family would be a "particularly luxurious and prestigious derivative" indicates a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Maybach S 650, whose sales are robust, particularly in China. More than 600 Mercedes-Maybach S class sedans are sold every month in the country, Daimler's China boss, Hubertus Troska, told reporters in April.