Car and Driver Car and Driver - Car and Driver
Brute power and a traditionally unassuming design make the S8 a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Power comes from a 520-hp 4. 0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, mated to an eight-speed automatic. To ensure that power is applied to the pavement in a controlled and civilized manner, all four wheels are driven via Quattro all-wheel drive. Despite its conservative styling and perceived sedate luxury car status, the S8 can keep up with nearly anything on the road. Instrumented Test – 2013 Audi S8 I've done bad things. But I haven't transgressed enough to earn a new S8. This is a villainous luxury car, one so wicked that merely hopping behind the wheel should make you a person of interest to Interpol. Yes, for the 2013 model year, Audi has recast the S8 as a sedan mastermind, dumping the old model's 450-hp V-10 like a disloyal henchman. The replacement 4. 0-liter V-8 is the twin-turbocharged and features cylinder deactivation that allows it to run as a V-4, just like in the A8. But here it's making 520 horses and 481 pound-feet of torque. That's 100 more horsepower and an additional 75 pound-feet compared with the A8, thanks to more boost (15. 9 psi versus 12. 3), revised valve timing, and more efficient intake plumbing. This violent V-8 makes Audi's plot to take over the world likely to happen more swiftly. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 3. 6 seconds, needs just 8. 5 seconds to reach 100, and tricks through the quarter-mile in 11. 9 seconds at 118 mph. Source: www.caranddriver.com
