My Audi S8 can’t make me hate it, even if its safety systems are often terrible
ADAS systems can be the bane of one’s existence in modern cars, but they can’t take the decadent shine off our long-term limo
THUD! The S8 jolts to a stop with the kind of force you’d associate with running into the back of a builder’s transit or hitting a low wall down an unlit cul-de-sac. The emotions are the same, too: the instant shock, confusion and fear.
Only, there’s nothing there. It’s a quiet approach road to a Lidl car park and there are no obstacles in the S8’s path. Once parked, I double-check, just to be sure. Nope, nothing to see here. All good. Phew. Looking back, there was a Fiat 500 coming the opposite way at the time. Perhaps the little Italian was a few millimetres over the centre line? (Definitely not me, guv. Honest.) Whatever the cause, the result was the Audi’s ‘Pre Sense City’ kicking in and applying the brakes.
At lower speeds it can perform a full emergency stop if it thinks a collision is imminent, but this particular situation didn’t merit the aggressive ‘Boeing caught in turbulence’ response. It’s not the first time. It’s happened before at roundabout entrances when it’s been safe to pull out, and also when a Jaguar I‐Pace reversed obliviously into my path at the gym car park. (I didn’t mind that one so much.)
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I could turn it off of course, but I’m beginning to get used to this kind of system as the years go on. The Active Lane Assist, on the other hand, continues to be a challenge, and is sometimes downright dangerous. But generally, the tech is getting better, more intelligent, and I find it reassuring to have a second set of eyes. KY73 OTZ certainly has those, scanning every lump and bump in Bedfordshire’s Martian landscape, ensuring the adaptive suspension gives the smoothest ride you’ll ever have.
However, it’s on the straights where this car really excels. On my local unofficial 0-60 testing ground it really lives up to its press-pack boasts (62mph in 3.8sec) with rocketship acceleration. What stands out most, though, is how quiet and refined it is when doing so. That won’t please those who crave a bit of noise and vibration, but after the drama of my Lidl ‘fake crash’, I’ll take it.
| Total mileage | 6500 |
| Mileage this month | 735 |
| Costs this month | £0 |
| mpg this month | 23.2 |
This story was first featured in evo issue 321.
