1997 Audi A8 Specs
2 powertrain configurations on federal record for the 1997 Audi A8: 3.7L 8-cyl Premium Gasoline; 4.2L 8-cyl Premium Gasoline, in Front-Wheel Drive and 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive, rated up to 18 MPG combined by the EPA.
Source: EPA federal records (fueleconomy.gov) · Updated 2026-10-26 · By CarWhere Research
| Engine | Transmission | Drivetrain | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 8-cyl Premium Gasoline | Automatic 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 15 | 24 | 18 |
| 4.2L 8-cyl Premium Gasoline | Automatic 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 15 | 23 | 18 |
A8 by year
Buying a used A8? Specs are the easy half.
Check which A8 years to avoid (federal complaint and recall records), then check the specific car: the Full VIN Report shows that VIN's factory build, recall record, and market history before you pay for it.
Frequently asked questions
What engines does the 1997 Audi A8 have?
2 engines on federal record: 3.7L 8-cyl Premium Gasoline; 4.2L 8-cyl Premium Gasoline, offered with Automatic 5-spd and Front-Wheel Drive or 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive. The full per-configuration table is above.
What gas mileage does the 1997 Audi A8 get?
EPA combined ratings run 18–18 MPG depending on configuration — the table above shows city/highway/combined for each engine, transmission, and drivetrain.
Is 1997 a good year for the Audi A8?
Specs don't answer that — the federal complaint and recall record does. See the Audi A8 year-by-year reliability verdicts at carwhere.com/research/years-to-avoid/audi/a8, built from NHTSA data.
How do I get the specs for my exact VIN?
These are the federal-record configurations for the 1997 Audi A8 overall. For one specific vehicle — its exact engine, trim, factory options, and original window sticker — decode the 17-character VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder.
Where does this data come from?
The U.S. EPA's public vehicle dataset (fueleconomy.gov) — the federal record of every US-market configuration since 1984 — refreshed 2026-10-26. Public-domain data; republish with attribution to CarWhere (carwhere.com).