RE: Audi S8 V10: Spotted

RE: Audi S8 V10: Spotted

Wednesday 17th January 2018

Audi S8 V10: Spotted

Our Carpool of the Year is now up for grabs!



The Audi you see here may look familiar; that's because it has graced the PH homepage before, as a Carpool and then more recently as our most read Carpool of 2017.

Its owner, Lee Whitehead, had always hankered after an S8 after watching Ronin. What car enthusiast didn't? By the time he came to buy one though, the V10 S8 - rather than the V8 film star - was in reach, and that was the one he plumped for. Using a reworked Lamborghini Gallardo engine stroked from 5.0- to 5.2-litres for extra torque, it utilised direct injection to produce 450hp and 398lb ft. Not bad, but also not enough to set the world alight in terms of outright speed.

It may not be as fast as some of the other uberbarges available, then, but the S8 isn't exactly slow: the 1,940kg kerbweight can be shifted to 62mph in 5.1 seconds and, without the 155mph shackle, the big V10 is capable of 170mph. On early test drives, journalists were disappointed by the muted sound of the V10 but this one has a non-resonated cat-back exhaust system to remove the muzzle from that barking engine.


Common problems generally associated with the S8, including the partly bonded rear windscreen that lead to water leakages, have been rectified by the current owner. It's recently had the parking brake, the battery and all four tyres replaced, and more excitingly Lee has had the intake flaps removed and the V10 remapped to produce 487hp.

Thanks to double glazed windows all round, phone signal is halved; that may frustrate some, but think of what a serene driving environment it will create to transport you across Europe or down to your local high street. In both the advert and the Carpool, it has been mentioned that the car has had a shunt or two when parked in an airport car park, so it's not pristine; all the more reason for a cross-continent drive, you might say...


So why is it being sold? Despite buying it to "drive and enjoy", it would appear that a little too much driving for work (and a 19mpg average) means it's no longer sustainable for Lee and the V10 has to be replaced by a diesel. Shame.

Still, his loss could be your gain, because this is a fast, discreet and well cared for supersaloon at a fraction of its original price. But then Germany is quite good at those, so you're not short of alternatives: this Mercedes S500 for example, or an earlier V8 7 Series. From Japan a Lexus LS could appeal too. However, if you must have a V10 - and want a star of PH to boot - then there's really only one option...


SPECIFICATION - AUDI S8 V10

Engine: 5,204cc, V10
Transmission: six-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 487@7,000rpm (after remap)
Torque (lb ft): 398@3,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: 314g/km
First registered: 2008
Mileage: 78,000 miles
Price new: £82,040
Price now: £14,250

See the original advert here

 

 

 

 

Author
Discussion

1Rb

Original Poster:

319 posts

154 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Different proposition altogether and overpriced but that e38 lick

al1991

4,552 posts

179 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Much, much want for that S8 yum

mwstewart

7,554 posts

187 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
I do very much like these V10 S8's. In fact I still love the D2 S8.

Dr G

15,159 posts

241 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
1Rb said:
overpriced
I wouldn't say so, no. You can buy cheaper but a cheap one won't stay that way for long.

budgie smuggler

5,359 posts

158 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
article said:
MPG: N/A
hehe

so much want though...

Professor Peach

22 posts

162 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Very nice indeed and a fair price at that spec/condition! Now, how do you get out of a PCP early?

Vroom101

828 posts

132 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
I wish journalists would stop regurgitating the same old nonsense about the S8/S6 engine being related to the engine in the Gallardo.

Article said:
Using a reworked Lamborghini Gallardo engine stroked from 5.0- to 5.2-litres for extra torque, it utilised direct injection to produce 450hp and 398lb ft.
No, it doesn’t use a reworked Lambo engine. Far from it. I think Richard Meaden is the only writer I’ve ever seen explain it properly, way back in Evo 91

”...in fact the 5.2 shares very few components with the 5-litre Lamborghini unit, the only significant shared parts being the drivetrain for the four camshafts. The reason is that the Audi V10s are built at the same factory as every other Audi engine, which, for economies of scale, has been configured to produce engines with a common 90mm bore spacing. The bore spacing of the Gallardo engine is 88mm. This is how the Audi V10 ends up with a different cylinder block, a new crankshaft, different pistons and new camshafts, while the more restricted engine bay, plus Audi’s desire to give the engine its FSI direct injection, result in bespoke induction and exhaust systems and a new sump.”

So if they are related, they are second cousins once removed at the very best biggrin

That doesn’t detract from the fact that Audi should be applauded for sticking a monster V10 in a saloon car though, and I would love an S6 Avant, if I could afford to put fuel in the thing.

Tuvra

7,920 posts

224 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Nice car, question is would you rather this S8 or the Toyota Century featured earlier in the week:-


hehe

On a serious note, the lack of wood in the Audi makes it look far more modern smile

sjc

13,884 posts

269 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Christ that Lexus has got some kit on it!

KungFuPanda

4,324 posts

169 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
How much for such an advertorial?

TheAngryDog

12,394 posts

208 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Tuvra said:
Nice car, question is would you rather this S8 or the Toyota Century featured earlier in the week:-


hehe

On a serious note, the lack of wood in the Audi makes it look far more modern smile
Is that a Rover 800 steering wheel?

seefarr

1,461 posts

185 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Vroom101 said:
No, it doesn’t use a reworked Lambo engine. Far from it.

<interesting stuff>

Interesting - I had seen Internet claims and counter claims about the V10's heritage. Even the wikipedia page has Lamborghini in it, using that well known motoring resource of CNET as the source...

Vroom101

828 posts

132 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
seefarr said:
Vroom101 said:
No, it doesn’t use a reworked Lambo engine. Far from it.

<interesting stuff>

Interesting - I had seen Internet claims and counter claims about the V10's heritage. Even the wikipedia page has Lamborghini in it, using that well known motoring resource of CNET as the source...
I’d imagine that Meaden got his information from the Audi press pack at the time, so pretty conclusive, really.

CNET = Cars. Not Entirely Truthful biggrin

jeremyc

23,335 posts

283 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
seefarr said:
Vroom101 said:
No, it doesn’t use a reworked Lambo engine. Far from it.

<interesting stuff>

Interesting - I had seen Internet claims and counter claims about the V10's heritage. Even the wikipedia page has Lamborghini in it, using that well known motoring resource of CNET as the source...
Except the LP series Gallardos (and the Audi R8 V10s) are 5.2 litre capacity with a direct injection system.

Surely this is the commonality that is seen in the S8 V10 engine.

QuattroDave

1,461 posts

127 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
I had the 4.2 V8 of these. Effortless miles in superb comfort and I also had exhaust done which brought the V8 sound to life but these cars are just waiting to rob you of a kidney.

Mine developed a fuelling issue where every few weeks it'd just cut out and refuse to start for 4+ hours but then be fine for another few hundred miles. Ended up costing four figures to track down the intermittent problem and resolve including two new fuel pumps (found out a lot about horseshoe fuel tanks!) and fuel control unit.

I'd still consider a newer one though but be mindful that big cars with big tech cost an awful lot to fix! Thankfully mine had the uprated metal cogs for the pop up screen which is a £xxxx job too!

Motorsport3

499 posts

191 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
Like these a lot, but for me the QP V won in the end the place in my drive.

Valgar

850 posts

134 months

Wednesday 17th January 2018
quotequote all
I would love this car

Until something went wrong on it...

bmthnick1981

5,310 posts

215 months

Thursday 18th January 2018
quotequote all
1Rb said:
Different proposition altogether and overpriced but that e38 lick
Yep, very nice indeed.

MrHooky

196 posts

141 months

Thursday 18th January 2018
quotequote all
What a great spec and not far from me. I’m going to do some man maths on it this evening. I had an S8 (D2) previously which gave me worse MPG but miss it dearly. This looks like a lovely way to cruise around. If I can get a tow-bar on it for my annual jaunt to Brittany it could be the next family wagon…

kylos27

196 posts

97 months

Thursday 18th January 2018
quotequote all
audi money pit