Shed of the Week: Audi A8
At the very least you'll get a year out of it but who's to say you won't want more
As a bonus he would get the use of a fabulous motor. The A8 was a long time in the planning because it had to go up against what was (and arguably still is) the world's finest car, the Mercedes S-Class. This is a first-gen car registered in 2000, but the first A8s hit the road in 1994, an astonishing 22 years ago. 1994 was 12 years after Ferdinand Piech signed a deal with a big American aluminium company to pave the way for what would be the transformatively lightweight Audi Space Frame A8.
Audi couldn't afford to go off half-cock with the A8's specification or performance. It was the first production car to offer ESP in its 4WD cars, and (along with the A6) the first to have front and rear side airbags. Our Shed has the 'poverty spec' 2.8-litre V6, but don't be fooled: even with the standard 174hp output you're looking at a 140mph+ machine. And this one's been de-catted, remember.
Good aerodynamics had something to do with the A8's effortless cruising gait too. Shed remembers a visit to the aero department of a very well-known premium car manufacturer in Japan around five years ago, during which he was proudly shown the secret work they were doing to a sporty version one of their executive cars. They were especially proud of its ensmoothening bellypan sections, complete with airflow-optimising NACA-style ducts.
Other glitches to be wary of? Well, there's plenty of electrick in places where you really don't need it, like the boot latch. Predictably, this is a weak area. The MMI info screens are notoriously iffy too.
Still, you've got a very long MOT. Who's to say you won't get away with at least 11 months' worth of plutocratic pleasure?
Unfortunately that didn't happen because it transpires that A8 leather seats were built to never wear out, so there's hardly any demand for secondhand ones. Many hopeful Shed-a-likes are presumably sitting at home in a similar situation, glumly looking at their A8 seats and vainly hoping that their ship will eventually come in. Dream on lads, those seats were built to last.
When the topic is value for money, it really is difficult to argue against a facelifted A8 at a squeak over 600 quid. Just look at the paint, the shut lines, the cabin materials, the fit of the glass. This low-owner, low-mileage A8 may be many things, but VILe it most certainly is not.
Long MOT expires 25 July 2017 - I have owned this A8 since 2004 and have been very careful to always change the transmission fluid, so the new owner will enjoy smooth trouble free automatic sports performance.
De-Cat conversion adds greatly to performance and flue economy (original cat’s in very good condition saved for MOT).
 |
 |
 |
 |
A few years back, a friend in the UK bought a 4.2 for about shed money only to find on his drive home it was pissing oil everywhere. Unperturbed he continued to drive it for a month and sold it to a guy in Paris who collected and drove it all the way to France.
As the article says, built to last.
The lack of weight is surprising; I had a lovely 2002 S8 and it truly felt like a car half its considerable size. You could (if you wished) fling it around quite easily, it handled brilliantly.
Good to see the transmission fluid has been changed (along with the filters I would hope) as the gearbox on these can – but not always – be it's weak spot, at least on the ZF-boxed S8s. I think the normal ones had a different setup.
I would hesitate to use the word 'sporty' to describe these. I think it's the same 2.8 that was in a 2001 Audi Cabrio I had and it was adequate at best.
I had A 1998 R 4.2 V8 a year or so back, bloody brilliant and also bought for shed money.
Save for pissing oil out of the engine and anywhere transmission / power steering fluid lived it was excellent. Plus the failed ABS module and many many flashing lights.
DVLA MOT checker suggests it has gone to the scrapyard in the sky. RIP R794 UOD.
Looks remarkably fresh in that colour, wont be rapid (60 in 9.9) but a nice way to waft about all the same.
I remember working at an IT company when these first came out, one of the managers got one and thought he was Gordon Gecko, complete knob really, anyway he drove like he owned the road in it, we were all sat int he office that overlooked the "Imo" car wash and in he swung like the captain of industry he truly believed he was, despite the car wash being obviously closed, and he hit the chain and the stanchion holding the chain in the middle of the in and out lanes, the chain tightened across the bonnet until whilst the stanchion opened the side of the car up like a can opener, the car was a ruin, both front wings, bonnet, windscreen, both off side doors and the B pillar, assume it must have got repaired but we never saw it again.
We were told not to mention it, ego too Fragile to cope with any stick, one lad wound him up asking how his new car was and just got told it was fine
Personally it looks like a hit but I'd be concerned that it's currently SORN-ed and it's only done about 1600 miles in the last 6 years based on MOT history. (mileage in September 2011 was 95,621 and it is currently showing 97,200). Cars not made for being parked up etc etc so I'd be a bit nervous about things seizing up and perished hoses.
Felt like a proper grown ups car after a MK1 Golf GTI.
This shed could be a hell of a lot of car for the money, as long as you can do some general stuff yourself, most of the bits are available secondhand and the consumables are cheap, it isnt that complex being the 2.8 and FWD.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=123...
He always raves about how good they are (indeed, he rated them above the LS400, of which he's owned half a dozen or so.
However, the gearboxes seem to be made of cheese, as not only did his exhibit potentially wallet-busting faults, but every one I enquired about seemed to be being moved on with, ahem, a 'slight gearbox issue, probably needs the gearbox oil changing mate'.
The gearbox oil and filter should be changed every 40k, or thereabouts, as this seems to prevent a lot of the maladies that manifest themselves otherwise.
Sadly, the only way to do it, iirc,, is to get the car up on ramps and remove ththe sump (which holds circa 1.5l of ATF, even when the oil has been drained). Not sure if the subframe has to be removed on poverty models but pretty sure it has to come off on the S8.
Nice shed, but I'm not sure if I would want anything other than a Quattro model to be honest..
Anyhoo, any chance of a pic of Mrs Shed? Appreciate that it may have to be taken by a low-orbit satellite to get all of her voluminous shape on film, or perhaps you could piggy-back 'Google Earth' so we can see, if, in the words of 'The National Express' by The Divine Comedy, (and I paraphrase) 'her arse is the size of a small countryyyyyy' ??
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff