Audi A8 D3

The Audi A8 (D3 2005-2009) was the first car on the market to be offered with a Bang & Olufsen sound system. It marked the beginning of an on-going collaboration between Audi AG and Bang & Olufsen.

The main design goal was to find a visual identity for the B&O system that would stand out in the interior as being state of the art both in terms of sound quality and material quality. It had to clearly show the Bang & Olufsen DNA and still respect the Audi interior design.

The Acoustic Lens Technology (ALT) was introduced in automotive sound systems for the first time. This gave the occupants an extraordinary sound stage combined with the magic of the Acoustic Lens rising from the instrument panel, as the sound system was turned on.

The round grill clearly tells the story of the speaker unit mounted behind it, inside the door. The very fine and controlled hole pattern visualizes the high sound quality and together with the lathed grill surface, it results in a very solid and genuine look. The hole pattern elegantly leaves room for the laser etched logo for a more complete and thorough look.

The high quality of the aluminum grills is the result of a series of different manufacturing techniques including 3D stamping, lathing, two-tone anodizing and high-speed drilling. The level of detail and precision in these aluminum grills is a benchmark for sound systems in the automotive industry.