I recently rediscovered a fascinating photograph from 2007 showing a blue Audi A8 on an English country lane. Except, it didn’t show any old Audi A8, nor was it any old country lane.
For starters, it was impossible to ignore that this A8 had been subjected to a brutal wheelbase chop, turning a long-limbed limo into a stubby two-door. It had also been fitted with massive alloys of an unfamiliar design, the front wheels had been moved forward relative to the windscreen, and significant width had been added to the wheel arches, and the tracks within. Most curious of all, a pair of vents had been sunk into the rear bumper, their mesh grilles sprayed the same light blue as the rest of the car in the hope of hiding their mysterious purpose.
Then there was the location, which was said to be in Norfolk, quite close to the village of Hethel. And that’s a pretty strong hint that this was not some local nutter’s shed-built A8 coupé. I remember seeing this picture back in the 2000s and being puzzled by what it depicted. Almost 20 years later, and with that puzzle never solved, I was still fascinated. Because the Audi in that photo was plainly one of the most intriguing things in the automotive universe; it was a test mule.
