444bhp V10 + 4 doors? Maximum waft, Mr.Sulu...
Discussion
Part of me wanted to give in. A large part of me.
I had travelled up to Wakefield to pick up a car from ecurie25's new Leeds base; it was my Mum's 60th party the next day near Manchester and I fancied a nice car to taxi her about in. Of all the cars on the Leeds fleet, the Audi S8 seemed to fit the bill perfectly - suave, sophisticated and understated yet with a bulging V10 powerhouse under the big bonnet to keep things interesting.
Of course, all that counted for nothing when I got there and saw that the Lambo LP560-4 Spyder hadn't been booked out for the weekend. Temptation almost got the better of me, but the little devil on my right shoulder was soon outweighed by the angel on the left, reminding me that I doubt my Mum would find the egress from a low Lambo in her fancy frock too appealing.
So, normality restored and I walked over to the S8. I’ve always loved this shape of A8, I find it a much more cohesive design than the latest shape. And with the extra ‘S-ness’ it looks fantastic in my eyes. Barge-like in so many ways, but the sportier grille, wheels, bumpers and of course the (slightly Halfords-esque) V10 badges on the wings tell you this is no ordinary diesel mile-muncher.
For the job at hand – namely getting me over to the little village of Lymm, via the Snake Pass, then being a luxury taxi – the S8 was the ideal choice. Cruising, wafting, and blasting were required.
Time is pressing, so I walk over to the car, key in pocket and the car unlocks as I get closer. I pull open the hewn-from-granite door, then sit myself down on the deep leather seats. If there’s a toy available, this metallic grey (very Audi) example ecurie25 owns has got it. Before I’d even started the car, I cast my eyes over the interior trinkets. Keyless Go, Full Satnav, Rear and side electric window blinds, iPod connectivity, Park Assist, electric everything, Radar Cruise Control, the list goes on. Oh, plus one gadget which amused me greatly at first, then I found myself using every time – the electric boot open/close. I had initially passed this off as ridiculous extravagance, but then with a few miles under its belt and a liberal coating of salty road grime, the option of pressing a button to open and close the boot became very appealing. Plus it looks really cool.
Thumb the starter button and with a little blare from the exhausts, the 5.2 litre V10 powerplant awakens along with all of its 444 ponies and a deliciously muscle-car-like shake. Give the throttle a few rapid squeezes (once warmed), the valves open and you get a gorgeously rich, deep rumble and more rocking from the sheer torque of the beast under the bonnet. I love this car already. Auto into Drive, suspension on comfort and away I waft, the M1 in my sights. It does the first of its tasks admirably I must say.
Despite the lovely (if a little common nowadays) 20” RS4-style wheels, it rides with aplomb soaking up bumps and ridges along the motorway and A-Roads. Okay, it’s no Jag or Lexus, but certainly does the job, even if it does tramline a little. A nice long slip-road onto the M1 gives me a brief opportunity to see how well the V10 moves this aluminium barge; its not nearly as quick as 444bhp would suggest, but certainly quick enough to entertain, especially when accompanied by the delicious exhaust note.
Boring motorway dispatched, I pull over just before I reach the roads of the Peak District to see if I can make the car a little more suitable. Suspension set to ‘Dynamic Sport’, everything else set to ‘Sport’. That’ll do. Pulling away I can instantly feel the firmness in the suspension, but it’s still well controlled even if it does do it’s best to break my spine. Using the steering wheel paddles gives more control of the gears and it will happily hold on until you change which is always nice. Again the noise is addictive, especially accelerating from 30mph in 3rd; you get a deep rumble, transforming into a throaty wail as you reach the point of the next gear change. These roads are famously twisty and undulating, which can be testing for even a lightweight sports car, let alone a near 2-tonne luxury saloon.
There’s quite a weight shift as you turn into a corner the first time, but you soon learn to preempt that and get the car settled before the apex and use the 4wd and power to propel you out of the corners. I must say, the steering (a commonly found Audi fault) is a weak point here. Too light by far and not enough information coming back to the driver. But you have to think; this isn’t the kind of driving these cars will see for 99% of the time. Still, darting from left to right, up and down the twisting tarmac, this S8 really is doing a pretty decent job of it – making rapid progress, safely and securely.
Of course, there’s always a price to pay when you have all these things in one package and in this case that price was an average over the weekend of 12.8mpg. Ouch. I doubt many people could stomach that, though I dare say without the hoonage it would’ve probably averaged around 17/18mpg.
Overall I was very impressed with the big Audi. Great engine, great cabin, great looks, decent handling. And my Mum loved it.
But for many a Pistonheads-browser, surely the most interesting thing about the S8 is the wallet-crushing depreciation. Close to £80k new, you can now pick one up just 4yrs later for £30k. Give it another few years and these will be around the £15k mark and that will make a very good buy. They’re quite rare too and there will probably never be another V10 petrol engined big Audi like it.
So it’s a big thumbs up from me – just wait a few years. Now, when can I take out that Lambo?...
I had travelled up to Wakefield to pick up a car from ecurie25's new Leeds base; it was my Mum's 60th party the next day near Manchester and I fancied a nice car to taxi her about in. Of all the cars on the Leeds fleet, the Audi S8 seemed to fit the bill perfectly - suave, sophisticated and understated yet with a bulging V10 powerhouse under the big bonnet to keep things interesting.
Of course, all that counted for nothing when I got there and saw that the Lambo LP560-4 Spyder hadn't been booked out for the weekend. Temptation almost got the better of me, but the little devil on my right shoulder was soon outweighed by the angel on the left, reminding me that I doubt my Mum would find the egress from a low Lambo in her fancy frock too appealing.
So, normality restored and I walked over to the S8. I’ve always loved this shape of A8, I find it a much more cohesive design than the latest shape. And with the extra ‘S-ness’ it looks fantastic in my eyes. Barge-like in so many ways, but the sportier grille, wheels, bumpers and of course the (slightly Halfords-esque) V10 badges on the wings tell you this is no ordinary diesel mile-muncher.
For the job at hand – namely getting me over to the little village of Lymm, via the Snake Pass, then being a luxury taxi – the S8 was the ideal choice. Cruising, wafting, and blasting were required.
Time is pressing, so I walk over to the car, key in pocket and the car unlocks as I get closer. I pull open the hewn-from-granite door, then sit myself down on the deep leather seats. If there’s a toy available, this metallic grey (very Audi) example ecurie25 owns has got it. Before I’d even started the car, I cast my eyes over the interior trinkets. Keyless Go, Full Satnav, Rear and side electric window blinds, iPod connectivity, Park Assist, electric everything, Radar Cruise Control, the list goes on. Oh, plus one gadget which amused me greatly at first, then I found myself using every time – the electric boot open/close. I had initially passed this off as ridiculous extravagance, but then with a few miles under its belt and a liberal coating of salty road grime, the option of pressing a button to open and close the boot became very appealing. Plus it looks really cool.
Thumb the starter button and with a little blare from the exhausts, the 5.2 litre V10 powerplant awakens along with all of its 444 ponies and a deliciously muscle-car-like shake. Give the throttle a few rapid squeezes (once warmed), the valves open and you get a gorgeously rich, deep rumble and more rocking from the sheer torque of the beast under the bonnet. I love this car already. Auto into Drive, suspension on comfort and away I waft, the M1 in my sights. It does the first of its tasks admirably I must say.
Despite the lovely (if a little common nowadays) 20” RS4-style wheels, it rides with aplomb soaking up bumps and ridges along the motorway and A-Roads. Okay, it’s no Jag or Lexus, but certainly does the job, even if it does tramline a little. A nice long slip-road onto the M1 gives me a brief opportunity to see how well the V10 moves this aluminium barge; its not nearly as quick as 444bhp would suggest, but certainly quick enough to entertain, especially when accompanied by the delicious exhaust note.
Boring motorway dispatched, I pull over just before I reach the roads of the Peak District to see if I can make the car a little more suitable. Suspension set to ‘Dynamic Sport’, everything else set to ‘Sport’. That’ll do. Pulling away I can instantly feel the firmness in the suspension, but it’s still well controlled even if it does do it’s best to break my spine. Using the steering wheel paddles gives more control of the gears and it will happily hold on until you change which is always nice. Again the noise is addictive, especially accelerating from 30mph in 3rd; you get a deep rumble, transforming into a throaty wail as you reach the point of the next gear change. These roads are famously twisty and undulating, which can be testing for even a lightweight sports car, let alone a near 2-tonne luxury saloon.
There’s quite a weight shift as you turn into a corner the first time, but you soon learn to preempt that and get the car settled before the apex and use the 4wd and power to propel you out of the corners. I must say, the steering (a commonly found Audi fault) is a weak point here. Too light by far and not enough information coming back to the driver. But you have to think; this isn’t the kind of driving these cars will see for 99% of the time. Still, darting from left to right, up and down the twisting tarmac, this S8 really is doing a pretty decent job of it – making rapid progress, safely and securely.
Of course, there’s always a price to pay when you have all these things in one package and in this case that price was an average over the weekend of 12.8mpg. Ouch. I doubt many people could stomach that, though I dare say without the hoonage it would’ve probably averaged around 17/18mpg.
Overall I was very impressed with the big Audi. Great engine, great cabin, great looks, decent handling. And my Mum loved it.
But for many a Pistonheads-browser, surely the most interesting thing about the S8 is the wallet-crushing depreciation. Close to £80k new, you can now pick one up just 4yrs later for £30k. Give it another few years and these will be around the £15k mark and that will make a very good buy. They’re quite rare too and there will probably never be another V10 petrol engined big Audi like it.
So it’s a big thumbs up from me – just wait a few years. Now, when can I take out that Lambo?...
Taita said:
Gorgeous.
Assume ecurie25 runs a hire co?
Nope, they're a 'Fractional Ownership' club, where you pay yearly and get to drive a wide selection of supercars...Assume ecurie25 runs a hire co?
More info here:
http://www.ecurie25.co.uk/
edo said:
Loved my A8. Love these.
What's the B&O system like?
Ooh i forgot about that!What's the B&O system like?
In short - incredible. I linked up my iPhone, and did my usual test of Hurt by Johnny Cash, followed by Stairway to Heaven, then a cheeky bit of Oakenfold.
Not quite the best system i've heard - that goes to the Linn system in the DB9 - but its very very good.
MMMMM...
2007 56 Reg AUDI S8 FSI Quattro Tip
Price: £35,990
35,980 miles
4 Doors, Automatic, Saloon, Petrol, 35,980 miles, Daytona Grey. Paranut Brown/Light Grey Valcona Leather, Acoustic Parking System Front & Rear, Electronic Climate Control (ECC), GSM Mobile Phone Preparation, 20 inch S Alloys, Bang + Olufsen Advanced Sound System, Carbon Inlays, Heated Front Seats, Carbon Ceramic Brakes, Multi Function Steering Wheel, Satellite Navigation, Auto Xenon Lights, Auto wipers, Auto dim mirrors, Keyless go, Suede Headline. 2007 registered 56 Plate. Full Audi service history,It has just been serviced today 29/01/2010 by main Audi Dealer. Four new tyres.
2007 56 Reg AUDI S8 FSI Quattro Tip
Price: £35,990
35,980 miles
4 Doors, Automatic, Saloon, Petrol, 35,980 miles, Daytona Grey. Paranut Brown/Light Grey Valcona Leather, Acoustic Parking System Front & Rear, Electronic Climate Control (ECC), GSM Mobile Phone Preparation, 20 inch S Alloys, Bang + Olufsen Advanced Sound System, Carbon Inlays, Heated Front Seats, Carbon Ceramic Brakes, Multi Function Steering Wheel, Satellite Navigation, Auto Xenon Lights, Auto wipers, Auto dim mirrors, Keyless go, Suede Headline. 2007 registered 56 Plate. Full Audi service history,It has just been serviced today 29/01/2010 by main Audi Dealer. Four new tyres.
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