2006 was a good year for Audi Australia. It sold 5770 cars with the A4 being the volume seller and the arrival of the Q7 helping bolster sales, along with the superb TT coupe. Locally sales are up 20 per cent over 2005 thanks to the new models and Audi is confident of double digit growth this year. So on the back of this good report card, the company added some year-end spice to the lineup with the arrival of the RS4 Avant, S6 and S8. And if a V10 engine is good enough for the S6, then it’s good enough for the $259,900 S8. This performance sedan is an all-alloy high-speed cruiser.
Released: December 1999
Ended: December 2002
Family Tree: A8 How things have changed in the luxury sedan performance world. When the 4.2-litre V8 S8 quattro was launched in 1999 it boasted 265kW/420Nm, more than enough - then. The V8 was mated to a five-speed tiptronic auto and would hit 100km/h in 6.6 seconds. As expected of the $224,000 sports sedan there were lashings of leather, self leveling suspension, 18-inch alloys and the usual safety and comfort features. By 2002 the price had eased back to $223,570 and offered much more kit, including Xenon headlights. In keeping with its sporty pretensions, the S8’s low speed ride was firm and it was more at home on the open road, where its steering, ride and handling excelled. The V8 lacked low-end grunt as well.
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