D3 S8 buying advice

[sarg]

Now my Boxster has gone to its new carer, I am starting to shortlist my next car, at the moment it's a not a very short list but the D3 S8 is certainly on it, as well as C6 S6.

So, having not owned a D3 before, what should I be looking for?

Rear brake calipers
Suspension troubles
Electrical gremlins

Any other common gripes?

There are a couple of S8s I quite like. One is a 2007/07 basic spec with 60k miles at £17k, the other a 2008/58 facelift car with ACC and ceramics with 51k miles at £23k. Also a 2006 S6 Avant standard spec with 70k miles at £14k. Others in the running are an E60 M5, E90 335i/335d or a RRS/Touareg/Q7/X5

I know the cosmetic differences for facelift, but what else was 'improved'?

The sat nav changes to HDD based I know, but is this a dealer only option for updating, as opposed to the 'back-up' DVD updates available.

If I do buy another Audi, VCDS or similar will be an essential purchase, which is the best one to get and what else do I need to be able to read and translate codes? Anyone tried one of the Bluetooth transmitters that plugs in the port and sends the info live to your smartphone?

Ceramic brakes: I know they can be removed, sold on and replaced with standard brakes, but what is required? Is it simply reaplcement discs and pads, or do other components also need changing, such as calipers, hubs, etc?

Can't find any S8s with B&O currently (excluding the silly season priced one with Oscar Goldman - 28k) so is the Bose good enough without waiting for a B&O car?

Any suggestions for who to use for a PPI? Cras in question are in Cardiff, High Wycombe and Oxford - anyone in those areas with VCDS that could help?

Lastly, one of the negatives against another Audi is the lack of a decent local specialist - I used to use RSD in Daventry but was never overely confident in them, nor were their prices especially cheap, Revo are also in Daventry but only do performance tuning I think (?) so anyone got any other ideas in the Midlands - Ranj, Amar, Ainarss?

[Singh]

The best Audi specialist around is 30 mins from you.

http://www.mrctuning.com/

Good job too, as unlike the local BMW dealers here, the Audi ones have been terrible every chance I've given them.

Unit 20 do PPI inspections and will travel.

You can get a brand new M5 at 0% with massive deposit contribution from BMW at the moment. That's what I'd do if I didn't love my RS6 so much. Look into a new M5.

[sarg]

MRC are pretty close, thanks for that Amar, have heard before they are very good, didn't realise where they are. Do they do routine maintenance and servicing as well as tuning though?

F10 M5 ain't gonna happen, it's a big jump from spending 20k to 65k mate, interest free or not!

[Singh]

Consider Ian's B8 S4, after MRC have tuned them it'll do 0-60 in 3.38 secs and 11.7 1/4 mile, that was on their development car too, the final product is much quicker. It's only about £1.5kish too, so nothing crazy. Watch it destroy the Revo one here:

http://youtu.be/ZAYFcSPQnCc

If you do go for a D3 S8, Milltek it up! I don't know much more about them apart from a standard one floored it near me recently and it sounded sublime.

[sarg]

yup, the B8 S4 should also be on the not so shortlist, must be an auto though for SWMBO, the better mpg has its attractions, not so sure of the sound from that clip though. I do quite fancy another 8, above all else I love this forum, my favourite place to spend coffee breaks, especially compared to boxa.net which seems to be getting frequented by chavs a lot now that the prices have brought them into reach, even if they can't actually afford to run them as well as buy them

The two things I disliked most about the Boxster:

1. 6 cylinders engines sound great, but they're not V8s (okay, nor is the S8/M5 but you get my point)

2. It needed revs to make the most of it, I want something much much torquier

[Adrian E]

Hdd nav can be updated without dealer input but does require vcds to get the mmi into service mode iirc. Its then a case of a firmware update which the car assumes is a software handshake with Audi Germany. Doddle to do with the right kit - easier than RNS-e anyway!

[IT]

Originally Posted by sarg

yup, the B8 S4 should also be on the not so shortlist, must be an auto though for SWMBO, the better mpg has its attractions, not so sure of the sound from that clip though. I do quite fancy another 8, above all else I love this forum, my favourite place to spend coffee breaks, especially compared to boxa.net which seems to be getting frequented by chavs a lot now that the prices have brought them into reach, even if they can't actually afford to run them as well as buy them

The two things I disliked most about the Boxster:

1. 6 cylinders engines sound great, but they're not V8s (okay, nor is the S8/M5 but you get my point)

2. It needed revs to make the most of it, I want something much much torquier

B8 S4 is only 6 cylinders, but the supercharger whine is a beautiful note - and brings in the power from tickover. Its one hell of an engine, dont confuse it with anything normally aspirated.....

I took a desposit on mine today, guy test drove it, grinned a lot and said he had to have it....

[IT]

Originally Posted by sarg

I know the cosmetic differences for facelift, but what else was 'improved'?

The sat nav changes to HDD based I know,

Nope - HDD 3G Sat Nav came in 2009 across Audi range - Not at all related to 2008 D3 facelift, which gave things like revised mirrors with indicators, square fog lights, lipped boot lid, chrome starter button, chrome trims on door pockets and things like advanced key/dab/xenons/DRL as standard. To be honest, unless you're looking at poverty spec motors, the facelift isnt worth paying a big premium for imo.

Originally Posted by sarg

Can't find any S8s with B&O currently (excluding the silly season priced one with Oscar Goldman - 28k) so is the Bose good enough without waiting for a B&O car?

Yes, Bose is absolutely fine. Until you hear B&O in action, and then you suddenly feel like you've short changed yourself. I was mulling (and still am) the C6 S6 - Prices have fallen, and good spec ones can be found, but B&O isnt even an option - in which case Bose is the best you can hope for, and it will be fine. In an S8 though, I'd (personally) hang out for B&O unless the car was otherwise irresistebly cheap/well specced.

[sarg]

Originally Posted by sarg

Ceramic brakes: I know they can be removed, sold on and replaced with standard brakes, but what is required? Is it simply replacement discs and pads, or do other components also need changing, such as calipers, hubs, etc?

Just reading that the ceramic brakes need different calipers, master cylinder and have a different ABS system, meaning it seems to be rather a PITA to swap to steel discs, anyone got any definitive info on this?

[Adrian E]

I'd heard that ref R8s so makes sense - perfectly do-able although a donor car with steel brakes where you can get all the bits would make life easier/cheaper.

Not sure the ABS controller needs changing - might just need reprogramming?

Speak to specialists/dealers for info - there's kits available from Audi to swap TO ceramics, so that ought to explain what you would need to swap back to steels.