Though the trendy efficiency SUV can hint its roots to the Mercedes-AMG ML55 of the late 90s, it’s really been honed over the past decade. It took tire and energetic suspension know-how advances to actually button these heavy machines down, permitting them to be extra than simply utilitarian however genuinely sporty. And whereas carmakers will fortunately construct them to fulfill the market’s sturdy urge for food, this development has shifted the highlight away from their sedan counterparts.
Lest we overlook, the efficiency full-size sedan additionally benefitted from this progress. Whereas SUVs developed from being greater than efficiency vehicles on stilts, quick sedans quietly made a leap in versatility and athleticism. Consumers now not have to decide on between a quick govt four-door and one with a world-class trip. The Audi S8 is an instance of this new breed and an underrated one. Combining a predictive air suspension system, a 563-horsepower twin-turbo V8, and an elegantly trimmed cabin, the S8 balances luxurious and efficiency by leaning closely on the previous and solely hinting on the latter.
It’s uncommon for a automobile’s driving expertise to hinge on buying a single non-obligatory additional, but it surely does within the S8’s case. 2024 begins at $121,696, together with a $1,095 vacation spot charge. Nonetheless, this tester completed in a delightfully brilliant shade of District Inexperienced Metallic stickers for $141,845. Probably the most essential line merchandise inside its record of chosen choices is its $6,000 Predictive Air Suspension. A system comprised of cameras, electrical motors, and air shocks that do many of the heavy lifting (fairly actually) to make this technically “sporty” sedan really feel like a real luxurious limousine.
It really works by incorporating a forward-facing digicam that scans the highway forward. The information gathered is then fed to 4 energetic suspension controllers, successfully small electrical motors positioned by every wheel, that may make particular person on-the-fly changes. These alter parameters just like the automobile’s trip peak whereas shocks agency up or soften to finest soak up oncoming highway imperfections. And regardless of its complexity, the system works seamlessly within the background, eliminating undesirable physique motions whereas decreasing the vibrations and roughness felt within the cabin.
At greater speeds, the S8 makes use of its digicam to scan for potential bends, permitting it to lean barely into turns, bettering its stability. Click on as much as its sportier drive modes, and Audi’s flagship reduces brake dive whereas eliminating rear-end squat throughout heavy acceleration. Extra importantly, it does so with out spoiling its trip, which is plush however by no means floaty. Regardless of what the “S” that adorns its trunk and grille may suggest, the Audi S8 showcases solely hints of sportiness, and it’s all the higher for it.
Open any of its doorways, and this predictive system will elevate the Audi S8 by as much as two inches, facilitating ingress and egress, ought to your knees not bend like they used to. Though it comes throughout as gimmicky initially, seeing this 5,126-pound four-door perk up immediately successfully bridges the accessibility hole between sedans and SUVs. Nonetheless, it settles into its pure trip peak when you shut its door in seconds.
Press its begin button, and its 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 gained’t roar into life with fervor, producing a low, burbly word that sounds distant from the driving force’s seat. It’s the results of a hushed exhaust paired with a well-isolated cabin. You wouldn’t anticipate it from what’s positioned because the sportiest model of the carmaker’s flagship sedan, however this restraint contributes to its luxurious limousine persona.
It’s a lot the identical when you get going. Though it generates a powerful 563 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque, the S8’s V8 fades into the background in most driving eventualities. It delivers energy quietly whereas an eight-speed computerized strikes by way of gears seamlessly. Given its excessive torque output at low revs, downshifts hardly ever want to choose up velocity whereas cruising.
Nonetheless, ask extra from its proper pedal, and the Audi S8 will reply. That is nonetheless, in spite of everything, fast for its measurement and weight. Because of its customary all-wheel-drive system, it’ll dash to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and max out at an electronically set 155 mph restrict. It does so in a matter that’ll really feel acquainted to anybody who has pushed different Audi Sport merchandise. It kicks off with a robust wave of low-end torque, aided by a quick-shifting transmission, which makes the S8 fast and successfully interprets the sensation of velocity to its driver.
As with its non-obligatory predictive suspension system, the S8’s sporty intentions finish when its burst of acceleration is over. Its steering is ultra-light, feeling virtually disconnected from the automobile beneath. A con of a correct sports activities sedan however a plus in a full-size luxurious automobile. Though sturdy sufficient to confidently sluggish this over 5,000-lb machine, its brakes are straightforward to modulate because of prolonged pedal journey. Even its exhaust system stays practically silent whatever the state of affairs, with the first word you hear coming from its audio system, not its quad pipes.
This laid-back method carries over to its cabin, which is characterised by massive, comfortable seats adorned with a diamond-stiched sample. This tester’s Cognac Brown inside enhances its inexperienced exterior, creating a sublime colour combo with out being muted. Refined carbon-fiber and gloss black accents distinction properly in opposition to the tan leather-based, whereas suede inserts in its door panels introduce extra textures. The result’s an area that each appears and feels costly, successfully subtly incorporating historically sporty supplies like carbon fiber.
Like the remainder of the model’s flagship lineup, the Audi S8 features a configurable digital instrument cluster paired with two central screens. The higher show serves as its infotainment system whereas the one beneath it controls very important options, together with its air-con, seat cooling, and heating options. Though bodily buttons would make these simpler to regulate on the transfer, they create a glossy aesthetic throughout the cabin.
Whether or not you take into account its inside, its engine calibration, or its intelligent predictive suspension system, the Audi S8 is a automobile constructed with full-size luxurious in thoughts and sportiness on the again burner. It delivers glorious straight-line acceleration with out asking you to place up with a punishing trip. Its cabin is quiet and plush; even its engine word settles right into a subdued function.
Whereas gross sales of efficiency SUVs will seemingly proceed to develop as they develop into extra succesful and versatile, this tech has allowed the posh sedan to make a big leap. Thanks to those advances, the Audi S8 could be a luxurious limousine by way of and thru. It simply so occurs to cover a 563-hp engine beneath its nostril, and also you wouldn’t need it another method.
