Audi has announced that the new A8 will feature a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) rear bulkhead and parcel shelf. Scheduled for introduction later this year, the body shell of the car will incorporate a mix of four different materials – steel, aluminium, magnesium and CFRP – for the first time.

A high-strength combination of hot-formed steel components make up the occupant cell, which comprises the lower section of the front bulkhead, the side sills, the B-pillars and the front section of the roof line. Aluminium components account for 58% of the new A8 body, the largest share in the mix of materials, and there is a magnesium strut brace.

Read the full article on our Inside Composites website