German Car Zone

Audi’s S8 satisfies any petrolhead’s desire for a limo with weapons-grade performance

SPEAK SOFTLY, BUT carry a big, big, big stick. This is essentially the Audi S8 distilled. Take one nearly irritatingly cool limo and give it the engine from a Lamborghini, a sure fire recipe for eliciting mass hooligan salivation in any book.

The S8 is the flagship A8, and similarly-engined S6 aside, it’s the most powerful Audi you can buy. The S8 packs a 5.2-litre V10 engine, derived from the Lamborghini Gallardo.

The Audi version of this V10 has been detuned, though. It makes 450bhp compared with the Gallardo’s 510bhp. That said, the Audi’s powerplant does get direct-injection technology for better efficiency.

Like the Gallardo, the S8 puts all that grunt down via four-wheel drive, but befitting its limo brief, the Audi gets a conventional six-speed automatic transmission instead of the Lambo’s jerkier semi-automatic job.

There’s actually not much at all to mark out the S8 from the rest of the A8 range, save for the egg-crate grille, some gentle plastic surgery on the front and rear bumpers, and a quartet of rear exhaust pipes.

In this last respect, Audi is a bit schizophrenic. Normally, manufacturers mark out their hottest models by giving them four exhaust tips, Mercedes-Benz’s AMG cars and BMW’s M division specials for example. Audi takes a less immediately coherent approach to this.

The company’s S models normally get four tailpipes, er, excepting the S3, which has two. The terrific RS4 also gets two, even though it’s in a whole league above the quad-tailpiped S4. More confusingly, the R8 supercar gets four exhaust tips, even though it has the same engine as the one in the RS4, plus it’s a bit quicker to 100km/h from zero.

Whatever the case, there’s no denying that the S8 packs some serious performance. Floor the throttle from a standstill and the S8 gets to the tonne in 5.1 seconds. Acceleration beyond that point is just as vivid, and completely relentless, even beyond the 200km/h mark.

You also get a properly hair-raising soundtrack from the big V10. It’s best listened to from outside the car, though, as the cabin is far too well insulated for you to properly enjoy the noise.

Which brings us to the interior. There’s not much to mark out the fact that you’re in the hottest A8, but then again the swathes of perfectly lacquered carbon fibre should give the game away. The S8’s interior is, like all A8s, a wonderful place to be in, comfortable, airy and beautiful to look at.

The S8 comes with the adaptive suspension system that’s standard on top-spec A8s, but tuned for sportier characteristics. Body control is very good for what is really a very big, very heavy sedan, and the car does feel more nimble than something so large has any right to be.

It’s still not exactly something that you’d want to take down a favourite stretch of corners though. But if you need warp speed transport from here to say Kuala Lumpur, there aren’t many cars that can do the job as efficiently or as stylishly as the S8.

Verdict:
There’s very little else that’s as quick and as effortlessly stylish as the S8

(+)Incredibly quick, super stealthy, very cool cabin

(-)Not quite as engaging to drive as you’d expect a car with the S8’s paper specs to be

Review here.

Thank you Mirage77, it is a good review overall.

As much as I like the S63/S65, I cannot honestly say I love them as much as this car. I know the Mercs are amazing but, given the choice, the S8 is probably what I would choose. I just love the whole package.

+1

I just find the large sport sedan thing quite puzzling - I am curious to know Rob, do you like the S8 above the 4.2 Quattro or the W12? And why? Personally I find the S8 to be far too much of a compromise, I will go as far as to say it is a pointless car. Now you may say the QP is the same but it is a far more focused sport sedan, with its gearbox and nauseating comfort - that's what I call a true sports sedan. Ditto for the M5 and RS4...

Ironic comment from you James ...Mr. Quattroporte
To be honest James, I kind've agree with you. The 4.2 V8 is more than enough really and the big W12 is truly awesome. The S8 is much like the S63/S65: really more about prestige than anything else IMO.

Is a S8 more prestigious than a W12? Personally, I think the W12 has more prestige. Maybe that's why I don't see sense in a S8...

Yes, the W12 is technically the top model. The S8 is like the "poser model" of the range.

Very sexy car but still my choice goes surely to Mercs S63/65.