A2 lessons will trim costs of Audi A8.

Audi says it will drastically lower the costs of building its aluminum A8 luxury flagship by adapting new production processes learned on the A2.

Series production of the new A8 begins this summer. Sales start soon after September's Paris auto show.

Audi's innovative aluminum spaceframe technology was introduced eight years ago on the current A8. But the production process is mainly by hand and therefore costly. Automation in the body shop is just 25 percent.

A new, more automated process is used on the compact A2 model introduced in 2000. Assembly of the A2's aluminum ...