D2 S8 - Now What ???

[ulfilias]

Hi Guys,

I have a 2000 D2 S8 and i've had it about 3yrs. Got her at 135k and now have 211k. She is a damn fine car but I feel she is on the way out. A complete an utter work horse, doing loads of motorway miles running round the country having fun. Custom Stereo and LPG and apart from steering wheel controls I don't think I could ask for much more in a car. King of the road, comfy as anything, quiet for chatting, yet I can park her in the back streets of any town and no one really bats an eye lid unless they know what an S8 is and then they just respectfully nod!

So the big question is now what ???

How close is a D3 to an S8....What can be done about the stereo (I have Ipod, Phatbox flac hard drive, usb and Satnav with speed cameras). What is the cornering like or the acceloration, particularly off the lights and then 30-70.

Lee

[The_Laird]

My choice would be a lower mileage final edition D2 S8....


....now, I wonder why?

[Nollywood]

Originally Posted by ulfilias

How close is a D3 to an S8.....

The closest in performance, would be the D3 4,2 V8 FSI. With 10 hp less than the D2 S8, but 10 Nm more torque, it's 0,5 secs quicker to 62 mph, with the same top speed. The 340 bhp non-FSI 4,2 is also quicker than the D2 S8, with the same torque level.

Nicer interior, a better 6-speed Tip trans, it's a better all-rounder.

[briang9]

Originally Posted by The_Laird

My choice would be a lower mileage final edition D2 S8....


....now, I wonder why?

^^^^

what he said (doesnt even need to be a Final Edition)

[PsYcHe]

D3 is a very different car.. bit more 'remote' than the D2, more toys and you can fit an AMI to do Ipod and HDD (though not sure if it does FLAC).

[thebluewhale]

Welcome back fella it's been a while

I can't help you with the D3 comparison as I'm still in the D2 but Psyche posted this about D3 ownership and I'm sure Tonupkid posted about the D2/D3 S8 somewhere but I can't find that.

[ulfilias]

Hi Guys,

Firstly i've been arround. I often drop in, read a few bits and don't get chance to post!

The FE's are quite highly prized, come at a premium and to be fair most people seem to just stick the moniker on an add if it is a late model. Although to be fair would a real FE actually offer much more than a standard D2 S8 ????
I'd also feel a little bad in getting one. I'm not a pristine car nut, I need a work horse that is a blast to drive and keeps me safe and comfy....As mine did the other night when riding over the moors in thick fog somewhere round 60-80 a cloud materialised into a ram in the middle of the road about 10 feet away which I managed to avoid with aplomb. A lesser car and i'd be in a ditch or converted my car to a Dodge!

I'm curious about the D3. Would probably be a 4.2 non FSI as I'd quite like it LPG'd again.

Lee

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by ulfilias

would a real FE actually offer much more than a standard D2 S8 ????

I'm not sure they do, other than the "unique" interior colours.

I've seen the comment here "Typical Poverty Spec FE" but not sure how serious that was......

[The_Laird]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

I'm not sure they do, other than the "unique" interior colours.

I've seen the comment here "Typical Poverty Spec FE" but not sure how serious that was......

Something I can speak from experience on.

I owned a 2002 non-FE S8 (now in the hands of David's8) before my current FE and the only real benefit is a little 'exclusivity'. They do have a unique range of colour combinations, but most of the leather colours (red, purple and 'morning dew' in particular) are a 'love 'em or hate 'em' feature.

My current FE S8 does not have the following extras that my non-FE S8 enjoyed:

Heated rear seats
Auto dimming rear view mirror
Auto dimming wing mirrors
Headlight adjuster
Heated front screen
Probably more that I've forgotten about (David?)

In contrast, you often see late 2002 non-FE's (frequently advertised as FEs) with tons of extras in addition to the above, such as video game consoles, extended leather (although I think the red and purple FEs had this), solar sun roofs, and so on.

So, although no S8s are really 'poverty spec' by the standards of other cars of that period, compared to many other non-FEs they do seem to have fewer toys.

You'll see from my signature, I'm in the process of improving on the 'poverty spec' situation!

But in the end, it's up to you. I love my FE (but miss the heated front screen at this time of year) but mostly because I love the colour combination. Most of the guys here love their cars too and wouldn't have let FE/non-FE sway their initial buying decision.

[Adrian E]

I'd buy on condition rather than model, and if it has a decent spec then so much the better. As it is my FE had had much money spent on it adding dvd nav, tv, bluetooth etc so felt a much newer car to use than any other of the period and cars with RNS-E coming up for sale are as rare as rocking horse whatsit!!

If a non-FE S8 had been on the market with 18" wheels, heated rear seats etc then I would've bought that in preference to mine as I'd be happier without 20" wheels and extended leather.

With so few on the market you have to be picky to a degree then decide if the downsides are outweighed by the upsides of one you're looking at.

I'm very happy with mine and it's not been as ruinous to own as I thought it could be. Now I'm gradually tweaking things on spec as I find them at sensible money. The solar roof will go in next year, auto dim rear view mirror at the same time so I'll get to the spec I would've liked apart from heated rear seats as I won't find a squab in my colour that has the heating elements in place!