CELEBRITY MOVER; The car of the stars, Audi's A8 is consolidating its position as the preferred showbiz mode of transport by pampering its famous fans, as BILL CAVEN discovers.

Byline: BILL CAVEN

WHEN the celebs decant themselves from their luxury limos at the BAFTA TV awards ceremony next month, check their car badges.

The chances are that nine out of 10 of them will be the four rings belonging to Audi.

The German luxury car maker has virtually cornered the market when it comes to transporting the showbiz stars around. Pop songbird Kylie Minogue always insists on travelling in the rear of an A8and used the Audi to transport her from exclusive Mar Hall in Renfrewshire to her weekend SECC gigs in Glasgow.

Whether it is the wealth of space in the cabin area, the wonderful quality of the finish inside or simply the smooth magic carpet-type ride, who knows or cares.

The fact of the matter is that the Audi flagship has never been so much in demand as it dominates the 8-cylinder and 12-cylinder luxury saloon market in Western Europe.

As other prestigious marques struggle to keep up with this Teutonic terrier, Audi are now proposing to turn the screw tighter in the coming months.

The car maker has upgraded its A8 range to offer more outstanding value for money.

It not only plans to introduce a single-frame grille, but also more standard equipment.

The new look A8 range with unique-to-sector quattro four-wheel-drive is now open for order in the UK at the beginning of May.

Prices will start from pounds 47,175 rising to a whopping pounds 75,775 on the road.

Include all the available options and you could push the saloon into the six-figure price bracket.

The new styling treatment was previously restricted to the big boys of the A8 fleet, but has now been extended throughout the 10-model line-up.

At the same time, those generous Audi folk have also made the upgraded SE equipment spec standard on V6 and V8 models.

It means that the new SE package adds DVD-based satellite navigation, light and rain sensors, and the advanced key system that enables drivers to enter the car and start up without turning a key.

The A8 is also brimming with James Bond-style gadgets and tricks, including voice control technology.

It means that the driver can command the operation of the radio, CD player, car telephone and navigation system by simply talking.

The cavernous cabin also gains additional aluminium interior trim and an enhanced ambient interior lighting system using LED technology.

If you want to add a touch of sporting dash to the A8, this is also now possible with a special Sports package that costs an additional pounds 2500 for V6 models and pounds 1900 for V8 versions.

The deal includes 17-inch 7-spoke alloys being upgraded to 19-inch 12-spoke.

The suspension has also been fractionally lowered and a sport adaptive air-suspension incorporated. There are also specially sculpted sports seats included.

The range of petrol engines includes a 3-litre V6 with 220PS, 3.7-litre and 4.2-litre V8s with 280PS and 335PS.

At the top of the heap is the awesome 6-litre W12 monster powertrain delivering 450PS.

There is also the option of two common-rail TDi units - a Piezo-injected 3-litre V6 with 233PS and a 4-litre V8 with 274PS, which maximise economy without affecting performance.

FACTFILE Model: Audi A8 Engine: 3-litre V6 4dr to 6-litre W12 quattro LWB 4dr Top speed: 150-155mph 0-60mph: 5.2 to 9.9 seconds Price: pounds 46,175 to pounds 75,775 Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles On sale: Open for order

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MISSION CONTROL: The A8 is stylish inside