AUDI S8
P 1,5000,000
The
Audi A8 is a four-door,
full-size,
luxury sedan car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker
Audi since 1994. Succeeding the
Audi V8, and now in its third generation, the A8 has been offered with both
front- or permanent
all-wheel drive—and in short- and long-wheelbase variants. The first two generations employed the
Volkswagen Group D platform, with the current generation deriving the
MLB platform. After the original model's 1994 release, Audi released the second generation in 2002, and the third and current iteration in 2009.
Notable for being the first mass-market car with an aluminium chassis, all A8 models have utilised this construction method co-developed with
Alcoa and marketed as the
Audi Space Frame.
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A mechanically-upgraded, high-performance version of the A8 debuted in 1996 as the
Audi S8. Produced exclusively at Audi's
Neckarsulm plant, unlike the donor A8 model, the S8 has only been available in short-wheelbase form and is fitted standard with Audi's
quattro all-wheel drive system.
Audi introduced the S8 4.2 quattro into the European market in 1996. The S8 followed the naming convention of other high-performance
Audi "S" models such as the
Audi A6-derived S6 and was similar in vein of
Mercedes-Benz AMG models. In markets such as the UK, the S8 was only available with the automatic transmission. Cosmetically, Audi differentiated the S8 from the A8 with solid aluminium alloy door mirror housings, chrome-effect beltline and lower front
grille trim, and polished twin exhaust pipes, along with subtle "S8" badging. 14-way power adjustable and heated sports front seats with memory function were fitted as were heated rear seats. Standard
alloy wheels were 18-inch cast
aluminium alloy "Avus" six-spoke style. After the 1999 facelift, 20-inch polished nine-spoke RS wheels became an option. In 2002, 18-inch nine-spoke RS wheels became a no-cost option.
At the same time of the A8's facelift in late 1999, the S8 received the same cosmetic upgrades. This update marked the release of the S8 to the North American market. Production of the D2 series S8 ended in September 2002.
The D2 series S8 featured an uprated, 250 kW (335 hp) version of the 4.2-litre V8 with four valves per cylinder. From late 1999, Audi increased this to five valves per cylinder with power increased to 265 kilowatts (355 hp) and 430 newton metres (317 lb·ft). From launch in 1996, European-market models came standard with a six-speed manual transmission. A sports-recalibrated version of the
ZF 5HP24 five-speed
tiptronic automatic, featuring "Dynamic Shift Programme" (DSP) was released a year later and was the only transmission available in most other markets.
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