What design features do you wish the A/S8 had?

[Audidothat]

Originally Posted by RICKY D

Interesting - so what rpm is the D3 S8 at @ 70mph? From memory the D2 is about 2700 to 2800 I think!

2400rpm @ 70mph in 6th gear - confirmed last night on the M4.

[27litres]

Originally Posted by Audidothat

2400rpm @ 70mph in 6th gear - confirmed last night on the M4.

That's not too bad, but it really depends on where the sweet spot for fuel economy is on that engine. A compromise has probably been made in the name of performance, just like the D2.
For perspective my old Holden 5L V8 (165kW/385Nm vs S8 V10 331kW/540Nm for same capacity!) used to pull approx 1975rpm at 70mph (based on 1750rpm at 100kmh/62mph), however as it's Speedo read considerably fast (9% - typical GM), this figure can't be read as gospel!
To be fair, there was a lot more to be had from the Holden engine as that was a conservative tune (HSV tuned it to 215kW/411Nm in the VN Group A homologation special, which would be the version with which to compare to the S8 engine - respectable torque, but both figures still beaten by a D2 S8 4.2...)

[Norretal]

Originally Posted by Audidothat

2400rpm @ 70mph in 6th gear - confirmed last night on the M4.

Oops, I'm obviously confusing 80 for 70 again, sorry officer

[Audidothat]

Originally Posted by Norretal

Oops, I'm obviously confusing 80 for 70 again, sorry officer

I did note other RPM : speed ratios during the same test.

[Turbo Tony]

What a great thread!

I agree with a lot of the posts on here. I'd definitely like the PDC and mirror dimming to be switchable. The latter with a simple button rather than the MMI. I'd also like to check my PAS fluid without dismantling anything. A cooled glovebox is an absolute must.

I'd also add that I'd like the fuel computer to be 'of this century'. I have a 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier and the computer in that is much smarter than in the S8. The range isn't limited to 5-mile increments and it shows you the consumption at idle, rather than the last consumption while moving.

I wish the adaptive cruise could be set to individual speeds, rather than in five-mile increments.

I'd like a soft-touch steering wheel because mine is horribly slippery. Come to think of it, steering with some feel at all would be nice.

I'd like a mute button on the steering wheel.

I wish they didn't stop designing the rear brake calipers with the ceramics. They look so pedestrian compared to the front!

I wish the armrests and ledges on the door cards were softer. After a long trip, I find my elbows ache. In fact, a lot of the interior materials feel a little hard for my taste.

I wish the indicators in the tail lights used the inner lights as well as the outer lights.

I wish Homelink was standard fit on all cars. Even if you don't have a garage, you can hook it up to all sorts!

I wish the electric side blinds also covered the rear-quarter window.

Although I don't want to delete the dipstick, it would be nice to have an oil level (and age) indication inside.

I wish it had electronic flaps in the exhaust, rather than the vacuum-driven ones. I'd like to be able to choose how loud I want the car and not feel like I have to plant the throttle just so the inner pipes get used. (yes, I'm a little OCD)

I wish it had cylinder-on-demand, so it would pootle around town as a V6 or V4 and fire up the rest when needed.

I wish you could set engine modes as well as gearbox and suspension.

I wish it had more low-down torque. I love that it can rev so high (and sound that good doing it), but I wish it didn't have to rev that high. Speaking of revs, if you're going to make a car that sounds that good revving, let it rev all the way into the scary numbers!

I wish the indicator stalks were more fitting to a luxury car. I was surprised how cheap they felt.

Speaking of indicators, why do the fronts have halogen bulbs when virtually everything else is LED?! While we're getting rid of halogens, bin the halogens in the rear foglights and reverse lights.

I wish they all had illuminated side sills.

I wish the instrument binnacle didn't have those little gaps between the clear plastic screen and the cowl (try un-seeing that now!).

I wish the drinks holders... held drinks?!

I wish the card holder was useful, but I do love how the little LED turns off when it's opened!

I wish the auto bootlid didn't feel/sound like such hard work. Other cars open so much more quietly and close so much more gently. I can feel mine thud closed through the ground! And what's with that horrible high-pitched whirring noise it makes at the last stage?! It sounds like ED-209 from RoboCop!

I wish the B&O was more customisable. It has too much mid for my taste.

I wish the volume control had numbers. The B&O sounds epic at one particular volume setting, but I always end up having to change it because people insist on wanting to... talk. Then, I have to trial-and-error it until I've found it again.

I'd love a panoramic roof. Heck, I'd settle for a sunroof!

Finally, I wish there wasn't that delay before the car does anything. Whether that's using the menu, turning on the heated seat, or even braking and accelerating. It feels like the car has to stop to process the input before acting on it.

You're right, this is like therapy!

[Audidothat]

Great list Tony, bet you had to have a little cry of relief afterwards!

And you’re right about the drinks holders, in fact you’ve just reminded me I need to buy a new plastic inner, all the spring loaded tabs are broken in mine which doesn’t help.

[pete-p]

Originally Posted by Turbo Tony

What a great thread!

...

You're right, this is like therapy!

Don't hold back!

Personally there isn't much I can think of that I would like differently, although as mentioned earlier in this thread a battery voltage which I miss coming from a B5 S4.

One thing I would prefer is the seat control being somewhere easier to see what they are doing. It's fine when you know which one does what (although I think my lumber one has been put on wrong since it doesn't correspond with the movement) but when a new passenger gets in and wants to adjust it, it's not the easiest thing to try and explain!

[snapdragon]

Good list Turbo Tony.
I agree with the trip computer - my 1997 Vauxhall Omega was much better, and then my 2002 VW Passat. The DIS in general looks like a rushed design with poor typography and badly translated messages.

All that space and you get

Brake Pads!

or

Select P
when
parked
or
vehicle
may
roll
away!

I also wish that the steering wheel controls were just +/- </> buttons rather than these thumbwheels that overshoot. On Vauxhalls, they had those and you could just count the clicks to move to a particular track without looking at the screen and then thumbing back and forth.

[MikkiJayne]

The B5 Passat had a cooled glovebox - the only model I know of that era that did, even though the A4 had the same heater box with a grommet over the cold air hole! I retro-fitted the Passat ducting to my last A4.

I wish the D2 had stereo remote controls available on the 3-spoke wheel rather than just on the ugly 4-spoke. I'm going to re-task my tiptronic buttons for track and volume up/down when I do a manual swap.

[Architex_mA8tey]

Widescreen DIS on a D2 would be lovely!