AUDI S8: FIVE THINGS ... WE LEARNED

ABOUT THE AUDI S8 PLUS

Photo of the 2016 Audi S8

 

1 First, the bad news. There is no USB port for your phone

Despite starting at $330,500 plus on-roads (our as-tested version is $385,000 with options), there is no USB port for your phone. Connect to Bluetooth or buy a $100 adaptor from Audi to have your phone link to the car’s screens while charging (Audi says most dealers will, er, generously thrown this in). Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (standard on a $14,990 Holden Spark, for example) have not yet been configured for this model.

2 There are plenty of other things to occupy your mind

The interior is trimmed in the finest leather and the sports seats are body hugging, without being too cumbersome when climbing in or out. And the top-end audio is awesome.

Photo of the 2016 Audi S8’s interior

3 It steers better and handles bumps better than other performance Audis

Historically, Audi has made its performance cars grip hard in corners but the suspension was too stiff. When it experimented with softening the dampers slightly, the car was like a pogo stick over speed bumps. The S8 Plus is not like that. Audi has finally matched some of the finetuning magic that Mercedes has worked on its performance models for some time. The handling is sharp — it feels smaller than it is — and the ride is comfortable.

4 The brakes are superb

At the price, they ought to be. The test car had $25,840 optional carbon ceramic discs (the same tech used in F1). Earlier versions squeaked or took time to heat up but these are effective from the first touch. Unless you plan on taking this on a track day, the option may be best left unticked. They’re dearer to buy and service: $25K gets plenty of replacements of the regular pads and discs.

Photo of the 2016 Audi S8

5 The acceleration is mind-boggling

The regular S8 does 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds and the claim for the S8 Plus is 3.8. We punched out a quartet of 4.0-second runs back-to-back with a full tank of fuel on a warm day. That’s fast, on an epic scale, thanks to matching a twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 (445kW/750Nm) with an eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive. The fastest limousine Audi builds, it can keep up with the quickest Porsches despite weighing two tonnes.