Seems only fair.
Now that the hype train that once surrounded the Audi A8 prior to its unveiling has rolled to a halt, Audi is (rightly) focusing on a more exciting version of the flagship luxury saloon, one that teams all the high-tech autonomous whiz-banggery of the standard car with some proper doses of power.
Significantly, new findings from Autocar suggest that Audi has tapped the 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol motor to power this new high-performance S8 - the same used in the very quick Panamera Turbo.
The engine, which is purported to supply around 400kW to all four-wheels and over 750Nm via an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission branded as an S tronic, was a co-development effort between Porsche engineers in Zuffenhausen and Audi’s brightest in Ingolstadt.
Indeed, both the Panamera and A8 are quite closely related under the skin, sharing Volkswagen’s MSB platform with the SQ7, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, and Lamborghini Urus. And while the S8 might not boast the kind of firepower that a rival such as the Mercedes-AMG S 63 or the BMW M760i xDrive, its use of an 48v mild hybrid system will certainly help.
Not only is the new A8’s core structure more rigid, but its innovative mixture of aluminium, magnesium, and carbon fibre has guaranteed it a weight savings of nearly 100kg over its predecessor.
We expect that the high voltage architecture will help the quattro all-wheel drive system better manage the car’s weight off the line and in corners via a more capable active suspension array, and Audi might decide to employ an powerful electric compressor to give the engine immediate response regardless of engine speed and turbocharger pressure.
The older D4 generation S8 featured a also featured 4.0-litre bi-turbo motor and was able to accelerate to 100km/h from rest in a blistering 4.1 seconds. With the improvements made to the forthcoming version, a mid 3 second sprint in ideal conditions is certainly within reach, which should scorch the AMG and Bimmer in a straight line dash.
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