Audi S8 Beginner's Guide
Discussion
Hi all,
Just about to sell TVR Tuscan as time to move on to family car world so no better family car than a V10 Audi S8!
Had a look at a couple today and they are really quite something so now want one!
I really know nothing about Audi to be honest so what should I be looking out for when searching for one? How much are they to run and maintain? Any big issues I should be aware of or are they pretty much bullet proof as Audi tend to be?
Thanks
Just about to sell TVR Tuscan as time to move on to family car world so no better family car than a V10 Audi S8!
Had a look at a couple today and they are really quite something so now want one!
I really know nothing about Audi to be honest so what should I be looking out for when searching for one? How much are they to run and maintain? Any big issues I should be aware of or are they pretty much bullet proof as Audi tend to be?
Thanks
Last couple I've sold are no longer in the country.
S8s are pretty good really, mechanically and electrically the A8 is well put together. Make damn sure everything works, absolutely everything. They behave themselves for the most part but electrical faults are expensive and your choices of people/places with the proper skills to work on them are limited to main dealers (mega bucks) and a handful of specialists.
The 10 is a good donk and in this installation it's set up to make a little more torque in order to lug all the weight. They can suffer from coking but it doesn't seem to be anywhere near as dramatic as the RS4 in this light. Only had it cause a problem under warranty once and it wasn't an expensive fix (manifold flap motor at ~£150 and a couple of hours of labour).
In some ways it's a strange car because it encourages a smooth, fast driving style but you need to rev the knackers off it to make proper progress. A lot of people think the 4.2 TDI the better car as it's torquenstein nature is more in keeping with the rest of the car. A mapped 4.2 TDI will scare an S8 off too.
Also the standard exhaust sucks, dispose of it at once.
S8s are pretty good really, mechanically and electrically the A8 is well put together. Make damn sure everything works, absolutely everything. They behave themselves for the most part but electrical faults are expensive and your choices of people/places with the proper skills to work on them are limited to main dealers (mega bucks) and a handful of specialists.
The 10 is a good donk and in this installation it's set up to make a little more torque in order to lug all the weight. They can suffer from coking but it doesn't seem to be anywhere near as dramatic as the RS4 in this light. Only had it cause a problem under warranty once and it wasn't an expensive fix (manifold flap motor at ~£150 and a couple of hours of labour).
In some ways it's a strange car because it encourages a smooth, fast driving style but you need to rev the knackers off it to make proper progress. A lot of people think the 4.2 TDI the better car as it's torquenstein nature is more in keeping with the rest of the car. A mapped 4.2 TDI will scare an S8 off too.
Also the standard exhaust sucks, dispose of it at once.
Is a mapped 4.2TDi really quicker?
I really like my A8 4.2 petrol, but would like a bit more go when I change next. My gut feeling is that the S8 has got a long way to fall over the next year or two, the market just won't stand the prices being asked for a design that will be a decade old. To my mind though, they are still more handsome than most of the more modern offerings.
I really like my A8 4.2 petrol, but would like a bit more go when I change next. My gut feeling is that the S8 has got a long way to fall over the next year or two, the market just won't stand the prices being asked for a design that will be a decade old. To my mind though, they are still more handsome than most of the more modern offerings.
That V10 simply makes one of the most sublime noises I've heard in a long time. This alone would make me pick a S8 over the 4.2TDI!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d71R_a3agIo&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d71R_a3agIo&fea...
Certainly does sound epic, reminiscent of the Quattro rally cars of the 80s at full chat. How intrusive is a Milltek in an S8? I was very disappointed with how much drone there was from a Milltek equipped A1 TSi courtesy car I had for a few days. Totally different I know, but my old VXR8 had a headache inducing aftermarket exhaust and I wouldn't want to go there again! 
I changed my 2003 A8 4.2 petrol for a 2010 (new shape) 4.2 TDI. The new car is faster smother and quieter than the petrol version. The car I have was a one of the cars that were sent out for the press to test drive, it have every gadget you can imagine. I did have a look at the S8 but I can get 600+ miles out of a tank of diesel with my car.
Neil.
Neil.
Dr G said:
Last couple I've sold are no longer in the country.
S8s are pretty good really, mechanically and electrically the A8 is well put together. Make damn sure everything works, absolutely everything. They behave themselves for the most part but electrical faults are expensive and your choices of people/places with the proper skills to work on them are limited to main dealers (mega bucks) and a handful of specialists.
The 10 is a good donk and in this installation it's set up to make a little more torque in order to lug all the weight. They can suffer from coking but it doesn't seem to be anywhere near as dramatic as the RS4 in this light. Only had it cause a problem under warranty once and it wasn't an expensive fix (manifold flap motor at ~£150 and a couple of hours of labour).
In some ways it's a strange car because it encourages a smooth, fast driving style but you need to rev the knackers off it to make proper progress. A lot of people think the 4.2 TDI the better car as it's torquenstein nature is more in keeping with the rest of the car. A mapped 4.2 TDI will scare an S8 off too.
Also the standard exhaust sucks, dispose of it at once.
How easy is it to check whether an engine is suffering from coking, as a matter of interest?S8s are pretty good really, mechanically and electrically the A8 is well put together. Make damn sure everything works, absolutely everything. They behave themselves for the most part but electrical faults are expensive and your choices of people/places with the proper skills to work on them are limited to main dealers (mega bucks) and a handful of specialists.
The 10 is a good donk and in this installation it's set up to make a little more torque in order to lug all the weight. They can suffer from coking but it doesn't seem to be anywhere near as dramatic as the RS4 in this light. Only had it cause a problem under warranty once and it wasn't an expensive fix (manifold flap motor at ~£150 and a couple of hours of labour).
In some ways it's a strange car because it encourages a smooth, fast driving style but you need to rev the knackers off it to make proper progress. A lot of people think the 4.2 TDI the better car as it's torquenstein nature is more in keeping with the rest of the car. A mapped 4.2 TDI will scare an S8 off too.
Also the standard exhaust sucks, dispose of it at once.
Be wary of S8s at the bottom end of the pricing scale - there's some real dogs out there condition-wise. Know someone who's been looking for one and walked away from a number due to bodywork and mechanical issues you wouldn't expect to see on a car of this type, especially for the money asked.
Given how close in performance my old V8 S8 is to a C6 A6 3.0 diesel in standard trim it wouldn't surprise me if the n/a V10 struggled against the 4.2 diesel. Stick a quality remap and tcu map on the 4.2tdi from someone like MRC on it and I suspect in a straight line it'd eat the V10 for breakfast. Not much you can do to tune the V10 reliably. Seen a couple of reports of V10s spitting pistons recently too....
Spec-wise if it has ceramic brakes work out if you can balance the 4x extra life they 'should' give with the 4x higher price for replacement discs and pads!
Adaptive cruise is nice but surprisingly rare on the S8.
If it was my money I'd have to go 4.2 tdi and get it re-mapped and a nice exhaust - it'll still sound half decent and it won't break the bank while doing 500+ miles on a tank, vs half that in the S8. Residuals will also be infinitely better.
Given how close in performance my old V8 S8 is to a C6 A6 3.0 diesel in standard trim it wouldn't surprise me if the n/a V10 struggled against the 4.2 diesel. Stick a quality remap and tcu map on the 4.2tdi from someone like MRC on it and I suspect in a straight line it'd eat the V10 for breakfast. Not much you can do to tune the V10 reliably. Seen a couple of reports of V10s spitting pistons recently too....
Spec-wise if it has ceramic brakes work out if you can balance the 4x extra life they 'should' give with the 4x higher price for replacement discs and pads!
Adaptive cruise is nice but surprisingly rare on the S8.
If it was my money I'd have to go 4.2 tdi and get it re-mapped and a nice exhaust - it'll still sound half decent and it won't break the bank while doing 500+ miles on a tank, vs half that in the S8. Residuals will also be infinitely better.
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