Audi A8 4.2TDI / S8 Ownership (D4)

[MatthewH5]

Hi, does anybody have any experience with both of these engines (4.2 TDI and 4.0T S8) in the D4 model?

I've had my 2011 4.2TDI for 3 years and I am considering upgrading to an S8 of the same generation. There are none currently for sale within 50 miles so I can't test-drive one at the moment.

I would be interested to hear from other owners how these engines compare - some say the 4.2TDI feels just as powerful as the S8 in the real world. The S8 would cost an additional £10k on top of my current car and I would be upgrading purely for the engine so I wouldn't want to be disappointed!

The other option would be to spend £4k on hybrid turbos and custom tuning for my TDI for ~520HP...

Thanks.

[charge]

Hi, i see why you contacted me.
I dont come on here often and rarely look in the Audi section but am happy to give my views!
The 2012 V8 diesel A8 I had was one of the best cars I have ever owned.
Amazing engine, and only slightly let me down against a late ‘80 Testarossa, which it was alongside till about 80 and run out of puff. Did give the super car driver a worry being matched by a diesel Audi till then!!
I went to a LWB 4.0 tfsi A8 which was very refined after the diesel, but really lacked the low down puch I had got used to, so went for a new S8 in 2017 and it did not seem that much better.
After 6 months i did think i had lunched a chunk of extra money for a tiny increase in performance so had
JRW motorsport look at it.
For a modest sum we now have an undisclosed power output, but one capable of lighting up all 4 wheels in the dry say coming out a bend at 40 mph, and in the wet i have more than once gone for an overtaken and had to dial in corrective steering while backing off to straighten it up.
7.5 seconds to 100 mph, in a luxobarge!

Jamie (JRW ) did a re map on his own Q8 V8 diesel which out dragged a Fiesta ST, while towing an enclosed car trailer. And if memory serves it was no spring chicken, with well over 140k miles on the clock.
If I was you, I would give him a bell! https://www.facebook.com/jrwmotorsport/

Living near London, only the looming euro 6 thing made me sell the diesel in the first place.
Cheers

[MatthewH5]

charge said:

Hi, i see why you contacted me.
I dont come on here often and rarely look in the Audi section but am happy to give my views!
The 2012 V8 diesel A8 I had was one of the best cars I have ever owned.
Amazing engine, and only slightly let me down against a late ‘80 Testarossa, which it was alongside till about 80 and run out of puff. Did give the super car driver a worry being matched by a diesel Audi till then!!
I went to a LWB 4.0 tfsi A8 which was very refined after the diesel, but really lacked the low down puch I had got used to, so went for a new S8 in 2017 and it did not seem that much better.
After 6 months i did think i had lunched a chunk of extra money for a tiny increase in performance so had
JRW motorsport look at it.
For a modest sum we now have an undisclosed power output, but one capable of lighting up all 4 wheels in the dry say coming out a bend at 40 mph, and in the wet i have more than once gone for an overtaken and had to dial in corrective steering while backing off to straighten it up.
7.5 seconds to 100 mph, in a luxobarge!

Jamie (JRW ) did a re map on his own Q8 V8 diesel which out dragged a Fiesta ST, while towing an enclosed car trailer. And if memory serves it was no spring chicken, with well over 140k miles on the clock.
If I was you, I would give him a bell! https://www.facebook.com/jrwmotorsport/

Living near London, only the looming euro 6 thing made me sell the diesel in the first place.
Cheers

Hi Charge, thanks for the info! It sounds like a tuned S8 is the way to go then! Second-hand values have held relatively high over the last year (as with most cars) but hopefully they'll drop a bit soon.