A Luxury German Rocketship on Wheels
The 2020 Audi S8 is here. It’s based on the latest version of the Audi A8 but ups the ante with a twin-turbo V8 that makes 563 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Not all of the car’s details have been shared with the public, but it was noted that the car has a top speed of 155 mph.
Anyone can stuff a couple of turbochargers and a V8 under the hood of a big sedan, but Audi took things further by adding in a 48-volt mild hybrid system. This eliminates the typical starter and alternator in favor of a motor-generator that harnesses power when braking and coasting and helps the engine at various points. It’s similar to the one that appears in the A8.
Additionally, Car and Driver notes that the Audi active suspension system is standard on all S8 models. That’s not too surprising as it is the top-of-the-line model. Also not too surprising is the fact that this car has rear-wheel steering and a torque-vectoring differential as standard equipment. This being the crème de la crème of Audi’s big sedan, it’s no wonder these features are standard.
The car will come to the U.S. only in long-wheelbase form. All the nitty-gritty details like price and whatnot have not yet been released and will come from Audi at a later date. However, the price will likely be more than $100,000 starting out. You should have plenty of ways to add to it and drive that figure up more.
