Price: $110,895
Competitors: Mercedes-Benz S550, Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, BMW 750i
Powertrains: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-6; 520 hp, 481 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 15/26
What?s New: Since its debut in 2001, the Audi S8 has always been the stealthy, understated supersedan. The brash Mercedes-Benz AMG cars and BMW M machines have always been quicker and more popular, but all that might change with this new, third-generation S8.
For starters, the S8 finally joins the exclusive 500-hp club. The previous generation, which ended production in 2009, used a detuned version of Lamborghini?s 5.2-liter V-10 that made a respectable 450 hp. But today?s car has an all-new Audi-designed 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that cranks out a heroic 520 hp at 6000 rpm, and 481 hp at 5500 rpm, paired to an eight-speed automatic.
This is the same engine, though higher tuned, that Bentley (like Audi, part of the VW Group) uses in its Continental GT V-8. The engines are nearly identical and share the same cylinder deactivation system to save fuel, as well as active hydraulic motor mounts to counteract any roughness in the transition from eight to four cylinders. It?s a relatively compact engine, and Audi says it will send your speedo to 60 mpg in just 3.9 seconds. That?s a full second quicker than the old S8.
The S8 is based on the short (if you can call it that) 117.8-inch wheelbase of the Audi A8. But for S8 duty, the chassis comes wearing sport air suspension with adaptive damping. Select Auto or Comfort mode in the Multi Media Interface (MMI) and the suspension is set 10 mm lower than that of a standard A8. Click over to Dynamic mode and it lowers another 10 mm. Additionally, the power steering becomes weightier, the shifts quicker, the throttle more responsive, and the sport differential more active. There?s even a Custom mode in the MMI that lets you choose your own adventure: Select the Comfort suspension tune, for example, and pair it with the more aggressive throttle, transmission, and steering mapping.
The brakes are beefier than those of a standard A8. And since this is an Audi we?re talking about, it uses the company?s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. To distribute the S8?s massive power to the right wheels, it uses the company?s sport rear-differential torque-vectoring technology that debuted in the 2009 S4.
On the outside, the S8 remains just as subtle as previous cars have been. Inside, the S8 is sumptuously dressed, with quilted, 22-way diamond-pattern sport seats, and Alcantara on the door panels and headliner. A tiny S8 badge is found right on the lower portion of the steering-wheel spoke, just where it belongs. The Google Maps nav system is among the best in the industry.
Tech Tidbit: Audi?s sport differential uses an electric motor on the differential that activates an oil pump, which controls pressure sensors and individual control valves for the right- and left-side clutch packs. So the system will lock up those clutch packs on the right or left side to send more torque to the appropriate wheels. In a corner, the diff will send more torque to the outside wheel, which will in turn tuck the nose of the S8 more tightly into the corner.
Driving Character: The S8 is an animal. At highway speeds, dip into the throttle by perhaps 2 inches and the V-8 responds with a wave of power, hauling the S8 from 60 mph to 80 mph in the same time it would take a lesser sport sedan to accomplish the same task at full honk. Nail the gas pedal to the firewall and the sensation is unrelenting thrust unlike that of just about any sedan we?ve ever driven. At around 4000 rpm, you can?t imagine this car can pull any harder. But it does?to 5000, 6000, and right to its power redline at 6500 rpm. It?s explosively quick during that last 1000 rpm.
On tight California canyon roads, the S8 feels a bit too large at first. It?s 2 inches wider than the last S8 and just 2.5 inches narrower than an F-150 pickup truck. And it weighs more than 4600 pounds. In Comfort mode you can feel the front end unloading; you can feel the tires loose some grip. But in Dynamic mode, everything is synched, and the S8 is really fun to dive into the corners, pile on tons of throttle, and feel the twin-turbo pull you through. Once you get the S8 into a rhythm, its excess size and heft seem to melt away.
Around town, we?d leave the suspension in Comfort mode and enjoy the ride. The shifts are imperceptible, and the S8?s cabin is a cocoon of isolation. At 65 mph the monstrous V-8 is just loafing along at around 1700 rpm. You can have a conversation with someone at nearly a whisper level with the music on softly in the background?it?s like sitting in someone?s living room on a quiet evening. The S8?s cylinder deactivation happens so smoothly that we never noticed it. That?s really the best part about this car. It does just about everything well.
Favorite Detail: The S8, from its small displacement twin-turbo V-8 to its suite of safety features, is a tech-forward sedan. The exception is the steering?and that?s a good thing. Instead of the electrically driven power-steering systems used on most cars today, the S8 still uses a hydraulic steering pump that doesn?t make the steering feel artificial.
Driver?s Grievance: The S8 is obscenely fast. But there?s no soundtrack coming from those dual tailpipes to back up the performance. The Bentley Continental GT sounds incredible, like a sophisticated muscle car. But the S8 stays true to its covert mission of delivering speed in silence. It?s a little too quiet.
Bottom Line: Sure, a $140,000-plus Mercedes-Benz S63 brings 563 hp and a ridiculous 664 lb-ft of torque. But that beast takes two-tenths of a second longer to reach 60 mph; the Audi is quicker than the AMG, and a little cheaper.
Even if this new one doubles the S8 sales number, this beast of an Audi will remain a rare treat, even on the streets of Beverly Hills. That?s probably just the way some lucky buyers will want it. At $110,000, the S8 will never be everyman?s German performance sedan. But this understated brute is certainly one of the quickest?and one of the best.
Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/2013-audi-s8-test-drive-13747349?src=rss
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