![]() ![]() Yet the chassis never feels sports-car-like. Grip from the Pirelli P Zero rubber, size 265/35ZR-20, came in at an impressive 0.89 g, and braking numbers were also in sports-car territory - hitting the 15.2-inch front rotors and 13.2-inch rears at 70 mph results in a standstill 164 feet later. Like all A8s, the S8 has an adjustable air suspension to give a supple ride (comfort), a brutally stiff one (dynamic), or the Goldilocks "just right" (automatic) setting that belies the 20-inch wheels. On the plus side, the automatic, which offers a gate for manual shifting, does perform seamless rev-matching downshifts on demand. The exhaust keeps the volume from going much past three, and when driven with restraint, the S8 feels much like its A8 brother. The S8 pulses with a liveliness missing from its V-8 peers, but we were expecting the V-10 to kick us in the junk.Ĭoupled to the six-speed automatic transmission that performs gentle full-throttle shifts, the S8 seems to be more about not disturbing passengers than making the driver smile. Honestly, how many buyers of full-size luxury sedans would want to rev the S8 to 8100 rpm on their way to the opera? Further refinements to Audi's V-10 include a balance shaft (helpful because the V-10 has a 90-degree cylinder-bank angle) and a more muted intake and exhaust. We'd wager that if the Gallardo's engine were saddled with the S8's 4609 pounds, all-wheel drive, and automatic transmission, it would feel too indolent below 6000 rpm to satisfy luxury-sedan buyers. Maybe it's because we believe the legend about the organ transplant that passes along the donor's murderous mien, but we were expecting the V-10 transplant to create a beastly S8 that might try to kill us. Perhaps Audi worried that an "Engine by Lamborghini" emblem would draw the same mocking snickers as Isuzu's "Handling by Lotus" badge or, even worse, Chrysler's TC by Maserati. It's strange that Audi wouldn't want to play up the Lambo engine, as the bragging rights of having Lambo firepower are probably second only to having a Ferrari engine under the hood. Well, we can understand why Saturn didn't want to call attention to the Honda V-6 in its Vue model, but Lamborghini and Audi are part of the same car company. You'd think a Lambo engine under the hood of the S8 would be a bragging point, something the marketers could really use to earn their keep, but Audi insists the 5.2-liter V-10 in its S8 sports sedan is a completely different animal from the 5.0-liter V-10 in the Lamborghini Gallardo. ![]() Highs: Lamborghini-derived V-10, leather-wrapped interior, distant Lambo soundtrack. Is a Lambo engine just what the big Audi sedan needs to stand apart from the competition? BMW has an M3 and an M5 but no M7 version of its 750i, although that big Bimmer sedan does cost less than an S8 and offers a compelling Sport package. Does this sportiest of A8s have a leg up on the BMW and Mercedes-Benz competition?Ĭurrently, the other German brands don't offer direct competition, but Mercedes-Benz does have a 507-hp S63 AMG arriving soon, although its price should exceed the S8's $94,420 base sticker. In addition, it has a firmer suspension with 20-inch wheels instead of the standard 18- or 19-inch wheels on other A8s and there are space-shuttle-grade brakes borrowed from the A8L W-12 model. To pay homage to the marriage of the trophy V-10 to the old-guy A8, Audi calls the more powerful car an S8.
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