Thursday 11th February 2016

Audi S8 (D3): Spotted

Well we're not going to see another V10 super saloon, so get in there now!

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Oh joy, a chance to ponder fast Audis again. They're a funny bunch, aren't they? While fast TTs and A3s could be chastised for a general lack of involvement and overly light controls, as you move up the range those attributes become less of a concern. Who really cares about the last modicum of steering feel in a two-tonne luxobarge? Exactly. Arguably this is where the fast Audi formula really excels.

The view in other people's wing mirrors

Take one fairly ordinary looking saloon, keep it looking fairly ordinary, then stuff it full of enough power to escape the four horsemen; that's been the recipe for a while and it continues to produce some quite desirable cars. See the latest S8 Plus, a saloon capable of 190mph while looking like one of those premier taxi service 3.0 TDIs.

Beyond the speed and the looks of a big fast Audi though, it's the ferocious way they depreciate that makes them so enticing. One of the current generation twin-turbo V8 S8s could be yours for £46,995 at just two years old with 19,000 miles.

Here we're focusing on the previous generation D3 S8, simply because it has a V10. That's nothing against the current car - it's a superb engine in fact - but V10s are rare and therefore quite interesting. This isn't some wild, shrieking V10, or a direct Lamborghini transplant as some like to think, yet it's not without considerable appeal.

A lap of luxury

In this car, it makes 450hp at a glorious 7,000rpm and 398lb ft at 3,500rpm. Perhaps not as low as you might have expected. Moreover, a decade later with everything turbocharged it's a really intriguing engine. There won't be another one like it, will there?

It's still a very smart looking car, with an interior not a million miles from the latest techno wonder Audis. It's in black with black leather and has a full service history to back up its 70,000 miles. It's for sale at just £15K. Nobody mention running costs now. Long live the horrific depreciation of big, powerful saloons!

Of course the S8 isn't the only one so afflicted. There are Jaguar XJs and AMG S-Classes at similar money, plus of course the original D2 S8 if you want to act out some Ronin fantasies on holiday in the south of France. None will have a V10 though; unless it's an M5 of course...

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AUDI S8 (D3)
Engine: 5,204cc V10
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 450@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 398@3,500rpm
MPG: 20.9 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 321g/km
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 72,000
Price new: £70,825
Yours for: £15,930

See the original advert here.

 

[QuattroDave]

I have a D3 4.2 FSI V8 having gotten rid of my C6 RS6.

If I'm being honest the A8 has a much nicer sound to it, partly due to not being turbo, partly due to the removal of the standard cross flow pipe and a lot to do with being able to enjoy the note without being in jailtime numbers!

Running costs really aren't as bad on the V8 as you'd think and I doubt the running costs of the V10 will be much greater day to day. I'd expect 12-15mpg on a short commute such as mine to work and on a run I reckon it'll crack 25mpg without too much fuss. My V8 does 31mpg on a run and the TTV10 did 24 so 25 for the S8 feels about right.

Main thing is to test everything and ensure it's got a decent service history. I picked up my 07 plate with 108k with full audi service history for less than £5,500 (amazing bargain!) and it came with the reassurance of audi extended warranty until 4 months prior to my purchase!

It has had all the horror stories replaced with the two biggest being:
1. Air suspension compressor and other at fault parts all replaced less than a year ago.
2. MMI mechanism replaced with metal cogs etc rather than the fragile plastic ones.

Won't go over the list of the extras mine has but lets say I'm wanting for nothing!!

Only gripe I have is with the MASSIVE boot, you just can't fit anything in there! Won't fit a bike, most boxes I've tried to put in on a tip run are too tall due to the bose sound system on parcel shelf and rear seats (like all luxo barges) won't fold down.

[QuattroDave]

MrHooky said:

That sounds an absolute bargain.

Do you not miss the RS6?

Agreed on the boot. The D2’s is equally huge yet massively impractical for bikes etc hence why I think I’d like either a B7 RS4 or C5 RS6 next…

Massive bargain, the guy completely undersold the car by not mentioning the exhaustive preventative maintenance that was done to it, but then you would have everything changed if you were paying audi £1,600 a year for comprehensive extended warranty.....!

Do I miss the RS6, yes and no. I miss the ability of 700bhp to tear a hole in space time and the sound on cold start up and when changing gear at high revs, oh and the practicality of a big estate! What I don't miss is the loan I had to get to buy it (hate having debt on a car!), the worry that I was going to lose my licence at any moment - bear in mind that it could crack 100 in less than 8 seconds it didn't give a lot of time to enjoy the acceleration. THe massive turbos mute the sound of the engine too much and I wasn't long enough into ownership to spend £1,600 on a decent exhaust to liberate the sound and the fact that, carbon engine trim aside, it was as poverty spec as the RS6 gets.

I will likely get another one, but it'll be a C7 with a decent spec.

But back on the A8, comfy seats, digital freeview with VIM so daughter can watch cbeebees on a drive, rear seat space is amazing but it's massive though so finding spaces physically wide enough is challenging and the only car park that I've found to have spaces long enough is costco! If only the rear seats folded I would keep the car until it died, but they don't so I'll keep it a year or so.

Absolute must though is to fettle with exhaust in some way, these things have five silencers (including the cross flow!) and you can only really hear that lovely V8 sound when you start reducing/removing the boxes. Cross flow is gone on mine which gives a lovely sound between 2-3,000 and next will be a 40-50% reduction in the rear silencers which should let more of the sound out but not drone on the motorway

[QuattroDave]

Greg66 said:

Oh yes it will!

I can get my road bike frame in there (wheels off) easily. At a push I can get two frames in and one set - possibly 1.5 - of wheels.

It will also swallow our luggage for a family of four holiday with ease.

Should qualify, it won't fit my DH bike with 7" travel front and rear! Tried every angle and best I could manage was forks protruding from the boot by 3" - i.e. does not fit

[QuattroDave]

Barchettaman said:

I can't see why the ability (or lack thereof) to take a bike in the boot should be a deal breaker - just get a Saris Solo for a tenner secondhand, job jobbed.

So,my bike costs as much as the car, that's why it's never going on a dodgy looking bike rack and once it's had a day being thrown down a hillside on Dartmoor or bike park Wales it's doubled in weight with mud hence my not really wanting it lying over the back seats (which it does so with acres to spare!) that's why it's a big deal to me, others may have different priorities but coming from a long line of fast estates it's a bug for me.

Solution of course is to remove rear bumper and retrofit a tow bar with a top quality thule rack which is what I'm planning on doing at some point.

[QuattroDave]

k-ink said:

That is utter nonsense. I'll be keeping fit on an MTB across the local hills when I am an old codger at 80. Just like my neighbour. Being old doesn't have to mean being boring.

I've just assumed it's just a baiting comment, but was tempted to respond directly like yourself!

I recall chatting to an older guy I randomly met at the top of the run at Chip Shop near Tavistock, gave it my all going down the track and this guy was only about 6 seconds behind on a 3 min run. Whilst chatting on the push up I commented on how nice his bike was his response was "thanks, thought I'd treat myself for my 60th". He instantly hit legendary status in my books!

I'll keep riding for as long as I can, it's great getting out and away from modern communication (email/phone etc) for a day and being out and about, keeps you young, until you get back to the car park and sit your bum in the drivers seat of an old mans luxobarge et A8