Flashback Friday: Remembering the Original S8 V10

Building a legendary limo dragster

Audi's second-generation A8 limousine is one of the most handsome Germany luxury cars in memory. But beyond the clean lines and great proportions, lies a secret. Because Audi's corporate acquisition of Lamborghini enabled the company access to engine technology which would create one of the best performance sedans in history.   

Turning up the intensity to S8

With its Avus concepts car-inspired grille, this series of A8 was a striking car. However, it was the S8 version which really cemented its reputation. Audi took a risk, by estimating that there would be a market for a high-performance version of its limousine. And they were right.  

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

A supercar rev-counter in that instrument binnacle

With its clean lines and peerless build quality, the A8 interior was a great place to be. It also contained a more modern design than its rivals, which tended to hark back to traditional, somber, German cabin principles. It was difficult to tell that you were in something special, from here, but if you looked at the tachometer, it became very obvious: as the redline started on the optimistic side of 7000rpm. 

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

Quad exhausts - on a limousine?

The easiest way to recognize an original S8 is from the rear. These cars all feature four exhaust ends in total, grouped into pairs. For a limousine, this was a highly unusual feature and indicated that something very potent was driving the S8 along.  

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

It truly had the heart of a supercar

Mounted above the A8's front axle was an amazing 5.2-liter V10 engine. It featured an oversquare design, which means terrific cylinder acceleration. Power peaked at 450hp, which was plenty in the S8. Although there were slight changes in its engine mapping, this S8 V10 was very similar to that of the Lamborghini Gallardo. Something which gave the S8 a great sense of supercar lineage to go with its limousine abilities.  

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

The trick was drive at all four wheels

This cutaway of the S8 shows that Audi had an advantage: all-wheel drive. The company's vaunted quattro traction system would come into its own with S8, balancing the V10 engine's immense power output. It would also enable the S8 to achieve acceleration numbers, which made it the envy of many sports car owners, never mind limousine drivers.  

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

Limousine comfort - but also some great on-the-limit poise

With its construction primarily from aluminum, the S8 wasn't as heavy as you'd expect from a luxury limousine, registering a curb weight of 4276lbs. That meant that you could be very ambitious when powering it into and through corners - and be rewarded with a great handling balance.  

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

An A8 which truly deserved its S-moniker

The number which truly mattered, and the one which validated the original S8, was the ability to move with the urgency that one never expected from a limousine. Although it had a six-speed automatic transmission, this luxury Audi was capable of 0-60mph in only 4.8 seconds. Which was very rapid when it was launched in 2006. 

>>Join the conversation about the original V10 S8 right here in AudiWorldForum.

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