Life before 8s - What's your story?
 

I was digging through some old car folders and came across these photos of one of the last cars I owned before I became an octophile.

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As my forum sig' shows, my route to the four rings was littered with some quirky cars (and one or two downright awful ones too).

So what about everyone else? Was it a natural progression through smaller Audi models, or did you arrive at 8s from a different angle like I did?



This is my story, and why I bought my first '8 ...



While the last non-8 I owned was actually a Xantia 'Activa', that was a vehicle I acquired, rather than chose (amazing car to drive though), and ownership was cut short (a heavy right-foot, combined with an over-powerful remap, dramatically killed the engine one fateful day). It was the XM above, and the one I owned before it, that led me to buying my first 8, for a number of reasons ...


What I liked about the XMs was that they were quirky and rare, relatively luxurious but, most of all, they had exceptional ride and handling. While the grip from the front wheel drive setup was average at best, the 'Hydractive 1/2' suspension system did a good job of keeping you out of trouble and getting you out of trouble whenever the tyres let go of the road. Despite a new price tag of around half that of a new A8, they had leather-clad electric seats and the mirrors, sunroof, etc were all electricically adjustable too. They even had an electrically adjustable centre armrest (pretty pointless really, but I do miss that little quirky extravagance).

What the XM didn't have though, was good build quality. Interestingly, the hydropneumatic suspension system that puts most people off buying larger Citroens, was very reliable. It was generally the small, but annoying things that broke: Electric window cables would frequently snap, causing the glass to fall inside the door, interior trim would break or come off in your hands, and dashboard LCD displays would fail or become unreadable due to faulty segments.

When the time came to replace the XM, I was looking for something that could make up for a lack of Hydractive handling/ride with sheer grip and road-holding, which meant that it had to be an AWD vehicle. I also wanted something at least as big, luxurious and quick as the XM and preferably something with good build quality (therefore probably German or Japanese) and something that was also reasonably rare. An AWD '8 was really the only car that ticked all the boxes. :)

Interesting, I too came to the S8 from another direction, British cars.

The think the first Audi I ever drove was my first S8, but I had decided on "technical grounds" that I really wanted one soon after launch.
I even bought my numberplate well over a year before I got the car - that's planning!

My first car was a mini, while still at school.
The first (and ONLY) new car I ever bought was a Triumph Dolomite 1850HL, with overdrive, back in 1976.
Most cars I have had (for over 30 years) were company cars, often our 2nd car was my (or a colleagues) end-of-lease vehicle.
I won't (can't) list them all but there were an awful lot of Rover 800's in there. For many years (decades) we would have had two of them on the drive.

Both my wife and I found them very easy to drive and park - you always knew where the corners were and we could both easily get into spaces that smaller cars would pass by.
My final company car was a Rover 75 Tourer, 2.0 diesel auto but remapped so it was fairly (very!) "brisk". That was a pig to park though.
I bought my first S8 while still driving that, but with one eye on "retirement".

I feel for for you. My last ever contact with British cars was my Morris Ital -- worst unreliable pile of rust I ever owned! To be fair, I'm sure later British cars were much better, but that Ital put me off British for life. Mind you, while my switch to French cars was probably not quite 'out of the frying pan, into the fire', it was certainly a different frying pan.

So, from a Mini right through to an '8 ... that's quite the extremes! :)

My first car was a 1965 mini, bought when I first went to university in 1972. It died far from home and was towed back by a friend and my dad in 2 legs. It needed a new engine and I was a poor student, so my mum bought a Haynes manual for me and I set to work.

I hitched home most weekends and began the very slow process of removing and stripping the engine. When I started, I couldn't have even pointed to a spark plug, let alone change one!

Some months later it all worked again - much to my surprise. That's when I got the 'mods' bug and, by the time it rusted away to the great scrap yard in the sky, it was on it's fourth engine with loads of mods that I never mentioned to my insurance company!

Then, being a professional student by then (on my third degree), I decided I needed a small van to help with the frequent flat moves. It had to be cheap and rust free. My dad found me a 1957 A35 van in lovely nick, still with the trafficators! Someone left an owners club flier on my windscreen (I keep telling A8 Parts that they should do that!) and I went to their Annual Meet (much bigger than the A8 Meet!) and won the Commercial Class trophy.

Then I bought an A35 saloon for spares, but it was too good for that, so I did a bit of work and gave it to my girlfriend.

Next was a 1952 Austin Somerset, which won second place in a national Austin rally, and a 1954 model for my girlfriend.

Then a Triumph Spitfire; then an Austin Allegro (oh the shame! :o )when the spitty died; and then company cars (mostly Fords).

I bought my A6 Avant from the leasing company when I changed job and then traded that in with a guy who was Rangers goalkeeping coach, for my first A8; a 2.8 in Crystal Blue. Took that to the A8 Meet in Lutterworth a few years ago and fell in love with my current S8 that then belonged to James.

Then I bought an S8 (now owned by David), and then James' S8 came up for sale! David kindly helped with the cash flow by buying my previous S8 and, three and half years on, I still love it!

A bit of a "mixed bag" for me but mainly German cars in more recent times. I started off with a Hillman Avenger estate in metallic brown (which hid the rust well) which I had fitted with Cobra Superslot alloys :o

I also owned a Mk2 Cortina, a 1600E, at the same time which I tried to get back on the road but depsite much effort and expenditure I had to give up on it :-(

I then had a few Fords of the Capri and Cortina variety, understandable considering I worked at a Ford main dealer at the time and had access to cheap and often free parts and servicing

Next was a 1976 Toyota Celica ST, a great car with a unique style about it, complete with 260Z wheels and a straight through exhaust with a RS1600i back box, it sounded lovely

Then I had a ten year love affair with a Golf GTi Mk2, spent loads on it with various exhausts, an amazing sound system, BBS alloys and an interior change, I never got tired of that car.

After that it was a BMW 325i, another one that I changed a bit and continually worked on, I had that one for about six years.

Then my first Audi, a 1994 S4, a 2,2 litre turbo charged 5 cylinder 6 speed quattro, which I had for a couple of years.

That was traded in for my D2, a 1999 4.2 PF model in silver, which I had for over nine years until March 2014, which is when I bought my S8 from IT

Great thread.

I've had many many cars, more recently a Renault Clio four cyl. 2 litre 172 for 6 years, BMW 323i straight 6 and then I decided to own an A2. I'd always wanted an A2, with its aluminium space frame and I loved the little 3 cyl. 1.4 TDi.

The interior rattled and squeaked, and when finances allowed, about 18 months after I bought it and with a heavy heart I said goodbye to 60+ MPG and bought another car I'd always wanted to own, the 8 I have now.

The 8 is fabulous. No squeaks, no rattles and it eats the miles in huge chunks without breaking a sweat. It's everything I hoped it would be, and it's my first AWD car. Refinement, interior space, (I'm 6'4") build quality, AWD, aluminium space frame all in one car.

Yet still, I can't really judge the size of this thing too well, and 30-35 MPG does make me think twice before jumping in the thing (where the A2 didn't).

I wish Audi had made an A4/A6 sized AWD aluminium car, if that makes sense (I know it doesn't for many reasons) cos it would probably be a car I'd buy and keep for ever.

A mid sized AWD, aluminium with a DSG 'box and torquey TDi would suit me down to the ground.

To many to list, but started with a Singer Chamois (Hillman Imp). Many head gaskets later moved to minis 1 & 2. Thence Capri ll, Cortinas, Granadas, Audi 100 & 200, Vaux Royale/Senators, Renault 25's, 730 & 750's Beemers. Plus many others.
Finaly, in the pub, a lot of beer and me crying about how much I hated my Lexus LS400, led to one of those conversations about what would get you the most bang for few bucks. I went for XJR and some more enlightened gentlemen said S8. Next day checked them out and here I am today. Two 8's in and still being amazed, delighted and sometimes frightened

Pretty much sums it up for me too +++

Escort, Orion, Granada....:o

C4 100 2.8 Quattro ++++++

C4 UR S6 ++++++

E39 M5 +++++++++

D2 3.7 FL ++++++

D3 4.2 PF +++

D2 S8 FL +++++++++

D2 FTW. :d

(I too was thinking of a Jag, glad I got the S8)