Audi S8 Fast Fleet test – living with Ingolstadt's 563bhp flagship saloon

How much of the S8’s longevity can be put down to its starring role on a French alpine pass 25 years ago? Would the current, fourth-generation D5 model still be on Audi’s price list had that nitrous-powered dark green example not whacked a Peugeot 605 and Citroën XM? It didn’t need the nitrous, did it? And does the world need super-limos or are they simply transport for our silver-screen escapism? Logic points to ‘no we don’t’, but logic and car choices rarely align.

A regular A8 does much of what our S8 does. It might lack the pure exec-limo magic of an S-class, but it also avoids the coldness BMW’s 7-series always wears to stop you getting to know it. Audi has shaped its aluminium machine into a limo that does the limo bit to an exceptionally high standard while also carving it a personality that gives it more of a distinctive feel than perception suggests. The S8 amplifies this further still.

> Audi S8 review – an old-school performance car with old-school appeal

You already know about the interior quality. What impressed me while I ran KY73 OTZ for a spell recently was how well it drives, not only as something to waft in, but how it adapts to so many different situations, and much of this is down to the tech bolted to it.

Such as rear-wheel steering. This is nothing new, but the S8’s RWS has been calibrated beyond an aid to negotiate tight parallel parking manoeuvres and tricky entrances into hotel car parks. No, this doesn’t mean it shrinks around you to become an RS3, but the sense of connection between both driven axles as the S8 removes its cufflinks and rolls up its sleeves makes you appreciate just how far Audi has gone to lift it above the norm.

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The front is more than happy to dive into a corner and the rear will react instantly to provide a balance and sense of togetherness where once such cars pushed their snouts to the outside of any corner, leaving their tails far behind. It feels agile where you expect lethargy, direct in places where you expect underwhelming dynamics.

Being an S rather than an RS product means the 8 doesn’t possess the snarling nature of its more famous family members. And it’s better for it, because it remains as subtle and smooth to drive as it is to look at. Its 563bhp V8 never feels strained, making for one of those cars that is exactly what you need when you have 2000 miles to cover in a month. With new examples starting to appear with over £20,000 off their retail price, too, the S8’s appeal strengthens further still.

This story was first featured in evo issue 319.

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