Audi's New 605-hp S8 is Mostly Aluminum, All Awesome

by Aaron Cole

Updated: December 31st, 2020 Published: August 5th, 2015

audi s new 605 hp s8 is mostly aluminum all awesome

Audi just unveiled its newest super sedan, the S8, and said that the new all-aluminum car would get an 85 horsepower bump and would sprint from 0-60 in under four seconds.

The turbocharged 4-liter V-8, which can make 553 pound-feet of twist and is only about as deep as a case of beer, just became the eighth wonder of the known universe.

The engine is married to an eight-speed automatic that shifts power to all four wheels via Audi’s all-wheel drive system, dubbed Quattro. Air suspension and adaptive damping come standard, if that’s keeping you from buying one.

According to Audi engineers, the S8’s frame is only about 500 pounds, which is lighter than that found in the Mercedes-AMG’s S63/S65. The overall weight of the car hasn’t been announced, but Audi says the car will go on sale in November for 145,000€ ($157,665).

Among the vehicle’s highlights are and optional-for-us (standard for Germany) high-performance package that boosts the S8’s top speed to 190 mph.

The S8 will manage a combined fuel economy of 25 mpg, according to Audi, probably thanks to gearing that tiptoes a finer EPA line than any of us could imagine.

Although the S8 gives up 16 horsepower to the S65, it also does it with 33 percent fewer cylinders. It’s possible that some variant of the engine could appear in an upcoming R8.

#Audi #Mercedes-AMG #Quattro #S8 #Sedan

Aaron Cole

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16 of 43 comments

Bortlicenseplate on Aug 05, 2015

I'm confused: isn't the current S8 only like 2 years old? Is this a redesign with a brand-new aluminum frame? Or is this just an evolution of the existing, aluminum-framed D4 S8?

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SCE to AUX on Aug 05, 2015

I'll take a P90D instead, which is quicker, cheaper to buy and operate, and more reliable. But the Tesla won't do 190 mph.

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- Glwillia on Aug 06, 2015
  
  Even if the Tesla could do 190, it'd drain your battery in about 3 minutes.
  
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- Stuki on Aug 06, 2015
  
  Nor get far enough to pull it's battery cable out of the charging socket at 180.... The regular A8 4.0 V8 is a fantastic car for hitting cruise at 100-125 and just letting the miles fly by. I'm sure the S is similar, except at 120-155. Unless you can get away with driving like that, it's all a bit anodyne and pointless. In all honesty, the proper way to test this S8, would be to have Baruth attempt a new Cannonball record. With a videographer and 2 wealthy hedgie sponsors aboard. For most any other use case, it's just another $40K Buick, optioned up with a $150K bragging rights package.
  
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- SatelliteView on Aug 06, 2015
  
  Yes, cheaper is very important here. If they'd make 85d with roll up windows it'd be even cheaper to buy and maintain!!!! Who needs led optics on these cars? You know how much it will cost to fix? Also, that large ipad in the center of the dash of the 85D, if the screen cracks, it'll be so expensive to fix. If they could just stick mazda's infotainment unit from the pre-redesigned cx-5, it would make tesla even more attractive and cheaper to buy and maintain. And hey, audi, F You!!!!!
  
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- SCE to AUX on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @SatelliteView I wasn't suggesting price and operating cost were that important; it's just a benefit.
  
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Sportyaccordy on Aug 06, 2015

I don't understand these cars. Why would I pay $160K for this, instead of, say, a base A8 and a C7 Z06? It's not the 90s... a base A8 is still pretty quick and pretty much strikes the ideal balance of luxury and sport for this class. Only people buying cars like this are people with more money and needs to badge whore than sense.....

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- PartsUnknown on Aug 06, 2015
  
  But then why a base A8 when you can get an A6 and a new Miata? See where I'm going? Before long you end up with a Trabant and a skateboard...
  
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- Sportyaccordy on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @PartsUnknown Because then you don't get the same level of luxury and horsepower/performance. Seriously, how is this car better than a base A8 + Z06?
  
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- Bball40dtw on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @sportyaccordy I think the person that buys this has enough money to buy an S8 and Z06. Or S8 and 911 GT3 RS.
  
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- PartsUnknown on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @sportyaccordy Well, you could say the S8 gives you Z06 powah and A8 luxury in one tidy package. Clearly the S8 is for millionaires with one-car garages.
  
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- Bball40dtw on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @PartsUnknown I'd bet S8 owners just want an S8 because it's the nicest and fastest large Audi sedan you can buy. They probably have a bunch of other cars too.
  
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- Sportyaccordy on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @bball40dtw This is a silly spiral in the other direction. Just because someone has the means doesn't mean they will exercise them... this is more and more true the higher up the economic ladder.
  
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- Sportyaccordy on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @PartsUnknown What kind of millionaire only has a 1 car garage? Most millionaires I know have at least 2 and a car in each bay. And they will be something like an M3 and a 4 runner. For driving thrills this thing will never come close to a bona fide sports car.... so why not just keep the luxury and get the actual sports car too?
  
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- Bball40dtw on Aug 06, 2015
  
  @bball40dtw Right. But my point is that someone buys a S8 because they want an S8 and has the cash to do so. We can find equivalencies at every price range. This sells to rich Audi enthusiasts that want the baddest Audi sedan money can buy. It doesn't matter that an A8 + C7 Z06 is a better deal or makes more sense.
  
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NeilM on Aug 06, 2015

Does Audi still put their complex and failure prone cam drive on the back end of the engine?

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