Audi A8 Quattro

Audi stunned crowds at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show with its A8 concept car, which showed just how far vehicle structure had developed over the past three decades. Much of the prototype's hull was made from stress-moulded aluminium, giving it a rigidity that no steel car could muster, the ability to resist corrosion and the added benefit of extremely light weight. Nobody believed it could be a production reality, but Audi shocked the motoring world even further when the car went into production the following year as the A8.

It was offered with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive transmissions and either V6 or V8 engines, both of which gave it the ability to reach 130mph (208km/h) plus. The A8 was one of the first cars to install airbags for the rear seat passengers, although if a passenger is not present the car will not deploy the relevant airbag.