The Next War Adventure Of The Audi A8

The new offensive started indeed early Saturday morning. But let me start by saying this: The Auto channel reviewed the Audi A8, 4.2 liter, Quattro, as follows:

"If you’re one of those lucky folks in the market for a premium full-size sedan like the 7-Series BMW, Mercedes S-Class or the big Lexus you might want to take a close look at the A8. It’s a class act."

I couldn't agree more! But a review like this puts the A8 (or S8 - even better, or RS8 - yummy) very much in the corporate scene. You know, these people who got another bonus this year and are now trying to fit 60 golf clubs in the trunk of their Audi. It probably would fit anyway, because this thing is just huge. But that is not the point.

The point is this: While driving, early morning Saturday, past the Nahr al Bared camp, with plumes of smoke on my left and, on the right, artillery shells literally flying over my head into the camp, I kind of had a very - and I mean a very - un-corporate feeling. It became clear to me that the A8 belongs much more on the battlefield than around some silly golf course. Let's not forget, this is a German car.

But anyway. I parked the Audi next to a house, 800 meters away from the camp which was being bombed to pieces by the Lebanese army. I shook hands with the people who live in the house and went - for the third time - to their strategically located balcony. From it you can see the whole camp. And that morning - smoke and fire too. The second offensive was under way to get rid of Al Qaeda lunatics who are hiding in the camp. And we had prime seats. By the way: the group is called: Fatah al Islam, which means Islamic Liberation.

There were six hours of maddness. So much shooting, so much shelling. We drank tea, while watching the fighting. We all went on our knees, behind a wall, if an Al Qaeda sniper would shoot at us - one man even showed us a bullet that he picked up from the balcony floor. At one point I could see how an Al Qaeda militant quickly fired with a machinegun from a window at the Lebanese army. Then I thanked the people in the house, and went back to the car. As ever - the A8 had not moved at all. It wasn't scared - like its owner. It wasn't exited - like its owner. And it didn't dive for safety - like its owner. It just stood there; just happy we were in a war, and not on a golf course.

As you can see on the pics I made on Saturday: Nr 1: The Audi A8 with plumes of smoke nearby. Nr 2: Looking at the battle from the balcony, Nr 3: A mortar hits a building.

Harald Doornbos