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  #1  
Old 12th August 2017, 01:04 PM
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27litres 27litres is offline
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Default 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

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

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!
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Marty


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Current:
2001 Audi S8 - Brilliant Black with Black interior, C5 RS6 rims (whenever I actually put them on...), Solar Sunroof, Tinted side and rear glass, RNS-D, Grom, Bose, clunky old phone in arm rest!
2002 Audi S8 - Project
Replacement head coming arrived thanks to MJ
Silver with Black interior. All features as the '01, with the 'S' mode auto shifter. Dodgey rear tint (need to find a way to get rid of that).
Family:
2009 Volvo XC90 V8 R Design
- has a louder more obnoxious exhaust than the S8, sounds great! Love this thing - Q7 was double the price, and certainly not double the car!

Sold:
1997 Audi A4
- Hamilton's Club Sport, Achat Grey (will miss the old girl)

Last edited by 27litres; 12th August 2017 at 01:07 PM.
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Old 12th August 2017, 01:07 PM
tintin tintin is offline
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Agreed: it's pretty much perfect. Best car I've ever bought.
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Autos Autos everywhere...
(1) 2015 Tesla Model S: (was 85D, now 90D ). Silent and deadly, and very fast... But not as fast as Ian's M3P-
(2) 2002 D2 S8 Final Edition: Bulletproof and faultless: Brilliant Black with Extended (Red!) Leather. Three-times winner of Best D2 1st prize
(3) 1997 Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo: Scots (! ) Green. Fragile, but beautiful.
(4) 2010 Fiat Panda 100HP. White Pandamonium (Final Edition!!). Pure old-fashioned 6-speed go-karting.
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Old 12th August 2017, 02:56 PM
1781cc 1781cc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 27litres View Post
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!
I presume you are referring back to MPH for the 50!? otherwise thats not much to brag about if its KPH...
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Old 12th August 2017, 04:44 PM
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27litres 27litres is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1781cc View Post
I presume you are referring back to MPH for the 50!? otherwise thats not much to brag about if its KPH...
Ah - but you don't know which corner I took at >50
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Cheers

Marty


____________________
Current:
2001 Audi S8 - Brilliant Black with Black interior, C5 RS6 rims (whenever I actually put them on...), Solar Sunroof, Tinted side and rear glass, RNS-D, Grom, Bose, clunky old phone in arm rest!
2002 Audi S8 - Project
Replacement head coming arrived thanks to MJ
Silver with Black interior. All features as the '01, with the 'S' mode auto shifter. Dodgey rear tint (need to find a way to get rid of that).
Family:
2009 Volvo XC90 V8 R Design
- has a louder more obnoxious exhaust than the S8, sounds great! Love this thing - Q7 was double the price, and certainly not double the car!

Sold:
1997 Audi A4
- Hamilton's Club Sport, Achat Grey (will miss the old girl)
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  #5  
Old 12th August 2017, 05:12 PM
oldnick oldnick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 27litres View Post
Ah - but you don't know which corner I took at >50
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
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Old 12th August 2017, 07:17 PM
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David's8 David's8 is offline
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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
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2002 D2 S8 – Ming Blue, Valcona leather, Vavona wood insert, solar sunroof (to be fitted), Heated rear seats, extended leather pack, 18” Avus, ski hatch, Bose, auto dim rear view mirror, rear blind.
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Old 12th August 2017, 11:28 PM
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briang9 briang9 is offline
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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

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
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Audi S8 2002, Black (even the chrome bits)
Audi RS6 Avant 2008, Daytona Grey
Maserati Granturismo 2008, Metallic Nero Carbonio
Audi S8 2015, Daytona Grey
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