The ultimate combination of performance and luxury from Audi, the S8 offers full-size comfort spiked with the power of a twin-turbo V8. It's one of the fastest big sedans available at any price.
What's New for 2015
The S8 receives a mild but effective front and rear restyle.
Choosing Your Audi S8
What truly sets the S8 apart from the A8 on which it's based lies under the hood: a twin-turbo 4-liter V8 capable of 520 horsepower. The S8 also gets its own sport-tuned adaptive air suspension and summer performance tires on 21-inch wheels. An eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive complete the mechanical setup. The S8 has a few aggressive styling bits on the outside, but still looks the part of a luxury car.
The S8 comes in a single trim level that includes everything most buyers expect in this class. Inside, you get 22-way heated and ventilated front seats with massage functions and diamond-stitched leather upholstery throughout. The cabin features four-zone climate control, power rear sunshades and a 14-speaker Bose surround-sound system. You also get power soft-close doors, a web-based navigation system, blind-spot monitoring and rear collision alert.
Even at this level of luxury, there are a few additions worth considering. The Driver Assistance package adds adaptive cruise control and an active front collision mitigation system. There's also a Lane Assist package with lane-departure warning and a four-spoke steering wheel. The Cold Weather package gets you a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and a ski bag.
Individual options are as swanky as you expect in a car like this. You can get a solar roof panel that powers a ventilation fan on hot days, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround system, and infrared night vision.
If you're shopping in this league, chances are you don't want to be without the features available in the option packages, even if you don't need the ski bag. The more exotic individual options are simply icing on the cake.