The Volkswagen Group D platform is a series of

automobile platform A car platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components, over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of cars, often from different, but somewhat related, marques. It is pract ...

s from the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

concern

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

. It has been used for

large Large means of great size. Large may also refer to: Mathematics * Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics * Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers * Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (or ...

luxury automobiles. Originally used by the

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Th ...

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

, it is also latterly used by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and

Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

marques.

D1/D11

The D1 (also known as the D11) platform was based on a stretched version of the Volkswagen Group C3/C4 platform: *

Audi V8 The Audi V8 (''Typ'' 4C) is a four-door, full-size luxury sedan, designed, manufactured and marketed by Audi in Germany from 1988-1993, as the company's flagship. As the first car from Audi to use a V8 engine, also was the first Audi to combine ...

(''Typ'' 44) (1988–1991) *Audi V8 (''Typ'' 4C) (1991–1994)

D2

The D2 platform is an all

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

, based on

space frame In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure ( 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with ...

principles, which helped to significantly reduce weight without being any less rigid. Audi AG refers to this type of construction as the "Audi Space Frame" (ASF). It is technically the first 'original' D platform. *

Audi A8 The Audi A8 is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, and now in its fourth generation, the A8 has been offered with both front- or permanent all-wheel drive—and in s ...

(1994–2003) *

Audi S8 The Audi S8 is a full-size luxury car of the Audi S models produced by the German automaker Audi AG, manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant. The S8 is the mechanically-upgraded, high-performance version of the Audi A8, fitted ...

(1996–2003)

D3

The D3 platform, also employing an aluminium space frame, was used for the second generation Audi A8, A8L, and S8. *

(2003–2010) *

(2006–2009)

D1 (VW Phaeton/Bentley)

The D1 platform cars (not to be confused with the earlier Audi V8 platform) share some components with the D3 platform, but have conventional

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

bodyshell construction. *

Bentley Continental GT The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automaker Bentley Motors since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG management, after the company's acquisition in 1998, and the fir ...

(''Typ'' 3W, 2004–2018) * Bentley Flying Spur (''Typ'' 3W, 2005–2019) *

Volkswagen Phaeton The Volkswagen Phaeton ( ) (''Typ'' 3D) is a full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle. Introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, the ...

(''Typ'' 3D, 2003–2016)

D4

The third generation Audi A8 launched in 2009 is sometimes referred to as the "D4" generation A8. This model combines an aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) structure but no longer uses the D platform, but the Audi-developed MLB component matrix.

D5

The Fourth generation Audi A8 launched in 2018 is sometimes referred to as the "D5" generation A8. This model combines an aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) structure but no longer uses the D platform, but the Audi-developed MLB Evo.

References

* * * *

External links

Volkswagen Group corporate website
{{Bentley D