It's easy to forget just how good it is...
 

Jealousy is an interesting emotion.
One mate of mine has recently bought an RS3, one has bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, another has bought a Mustang GT, and yet another has spent some serious coin getting his Small Block LS1 in his Statesman supercharged. The Jeep mate has also put a built Holden 355 stroker into his classic HQ Statesman which promises to produce 500hp.

I've been thinking of what I can do to get more power or better acceleration from the S8. I've run all the options through my head: supercharging or engine swap, remaps, Haltech ECU with custom tune, manual conversion, I've even considered trading up to a C5 or C6 RS6 to trump them all :rolleyes:

Then today I'm driving home from work, from a different depot than I normally drive home from, and I decide to take the scenic route by climbing the mountain.
Slip the auto into tiptronic as I start going up the twisting mountain road. I planted it on the winding roads, dropping into second for the hairpins and sharp corners, feeding the power back out and quickly grabbing third as the revs rapidly climb. I find myself grabbing fourth at one point on a longer stretch, so I steal a glance at the speedo, realising that I'm well over the ton (kmh, not mph!) as I dive on the brakes for the next hairpin and take it at a speed better than 50!
With mid to high revs keeping high torque at the wheels, the car plants itself in the bends and pulls through. Quattro at its best and as good as the A4 ever achieved!
I catch up to a Toyota tray body and I'm drawn back into the reality that we're not really supposed to drive that way on public roads :tuttut:

Climbing a twisty mountain road, the S8 effortlessly gets to excessive speeds and puts a smile on your face every time.
Anybody who thinks these cars don't handle isn't driving it right!
It pulls so hard it's actually difficult to keep it in legal territory when stretching it's legs, and makes me realise that power isn't everything (provided you have plenty anyway!).
I'd beat the Jeep up the mountain any day, out handle the Statesman and Mustang and give the RS3 a fair run for its money on this road (it'd thrash me of course, but my ride is far more comfortable!)

Yes, I'm still happy with my S8. It's such an accomplished car in many ways, what else would I want to drive!

Agreed: it's pretty much perfect. Best car I've ever bought.

I presume you are referring back to MPH for the 50!? otherwise thats not much to brag about if its KPH... :ROFL:

Ah - but you don't know which corner I took at >50 :D

indeed.......descending from our mountain lair there is one I wouldn't try at 50k...one of my neighbours did ...I went to his funeral ....there is still a wreath on the oak tree

But you are right in that for such a large car it drives through corners with a directness and control that should be the envy of many others. Despite reservations about the autobox from some, when in Sport mode and (I suggest) with a minor bit of transmission re-coding, it responds to being pushed hard. And it always puts a smile on my face+++

I agree they are just stunning cars to drive..and I have a C6 RS6 as well. However the S8 just feels so much better built, the quality of the materials used...leather and plastics all feel superior...I feel it may be because the D2 was the last Audi to be produced by engineers rather than accountants:tuttut:

Having said all that the ballistic power the RS6 delivers is also very addictive+++ and never fails to impress me, just a pity the build quality is not up there with the D2+++

I remember when the C6 RS6's first came out.
HSV (who thought up to that point they were building fast cars) had one of their Clubsport wagons put up against the RS6 by a journalist mag.
The RS6 wiped the floor with the 5.7 Holden and made it look silly. Serious power. I want one just for the sake of it!

Will wait a few years for that!