- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
4.0TT, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
382kW, 650Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 9.6L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Audi S8 first drive review
Sliding into the rear seats of Audi’s latest limousine flagship is a reminder of how opulent motoring can be.
Like the difference between economy and business classes on a plane, the sprawling leg room, sumptuous pews and subtle niceties – LED strip lighting, blinds all round and an arm rest for even the biggest elbows – are a big step up from a regular back seat.
Then the driver stands on the accelerator and the serenity is less subtle, squeezing your head back into the plush leather headrests.
That effortlessly brisk luxury is, ultimately, what the Audi S8 is all about.
While the S8 has been seen in Australia before, the current model hasn't been available locally and now benefits from a recent upgrade made to the otherwise diesel-only A8 lineup.
Based on the same 5.1m-long aluminium body of the A8, the addition of the S to its nomenclature brings the sort of acceleration reserved for some supercars. The turbocharged petrol-fed 4.0-litre V8 means the dash to 100km/h is claimed to take 4.1 seconds.
For a two-tonne car that can comfortably transport five that’s nothing to be sneered at.
Even more impressive is the ferocity at which it’s building pace once that 100km/h limit is reached. There’s little doubt the S8 would feel more naturally at home in Europe, where drivers would be able to more frequently stretch its legs.
But it’s not explosive in its power delivery, something in keeping with the luxury theme. The $279,000 (plus on-road and dealer costs) limo instead launches with a giant shove that makes the most of its Quattro four-wheel-drive system, which ensures there’s never a hint of wheelspin. In some ways it’s understated – especially the muted, almost disappointing V8 sound – while in others it’s brutal.
The willingness to shift the big sedan is never in doubt, though, and the S8 makes effortless work of overtaking. A steep hill on a twisting Blue Mountains strip also reinforces just how much urgency that turbocharged V8 has.
The eight-speed auto is also a model of good behaviour, sliding seamlessly between ratios. For the most part it’s best left in D (for drive) but brings added aggression if you slip it into S (for sport); the paddles on the steering wheel really aren’t required.
Huge 21-inch Continental tyres also help reinforce the go-fast theme. Excellent cornering grip is matched by a reassuring stance and little in the way of unwanted leaning. Powerful brakes assertively halt proceedings.
Despite the focus on performance, though, the S8 still pampers. Its air suspension system is rarely flustered by imperfections and settles superbly after big, challenging hits. Indeed over our couple of hundred kilometres it did a great job of smoothing otherwise bumpy surfaces.
It’s also impressively quiet and refined, with only a hint of tyre roar upsetting the clarity from the optional (at $14,500 ... ouch!) Bang and Olufsen sound system.
Equipment levels, though, are generally high, including the matrix beam LED headlights that can individually block the beam from each of the 25 light emitting diodes on each headlight so as not to blind oncoming drivers.
It adds up to a car that may not have the brutality of some other luxury muscle machines or the crispness of a more focused performance car, but for those chasing a high level of luxury and pace it mounts a convincing (if expensive) case.
Buyers of the Audi S8 will get a (weighty) hand-made bronze sculpture of the S8. Audi has ordered 60 from Manly-based Clive Calder of Australian Bronze.
Each was produced at a cost of about $1500 and will be hand-delivered to S8 buyers (or prospective buyers) as a memento of an expensive - and exclusive - purchase.
Audi S8: pricing and specifications
Price: $279,000, plus on-road and dealer costs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol
Power: 382kW at 5800rpm
Torque: 650Nm at 1700-5500rpm
0-100km/h: 4.1 seconds
Fuel use: 9.6L/100km