The sports cars that’s hiding in plain sight

The Audi S8 is a wolf in a stylish sheep’s clothing, with plenty of space, unrivalled performance, and no little luxury spared. But, naturally, it doesn’t come cheap.

The Audi S8 is the sports car in disguise

So you need to buy a new luxury vehicle that has space, especially in the back seats, as well as effortless performance and an air of exclusivity? The good news is, you’re going to be spoilt rotten for choice.

The Range Rover is a modern automotive icon, and while it may not be quite the off-road friendly machine it once was, this latest iteration has embraced its role as a high-riding luxury vehicle. Or there’s Bentley’s Bentayga, which may be a major departure for the British brand but does deliver on its reputation for making properly opulent vehicles.

In fact, there are so many luxury SUVs these days – the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and the wild V12 Ferrari Purosangue – that if you really want to stand out from the crowd, you need to think outside the box.

Specifically, you need to think about a sedan. Before the rise and high rise of SUVs, sedans were the only choice for a luxury limousine. Cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 were a status symbol of success.

The Audi S8

It used to be the case that seeing one of that trio on the road meant it was either a captain of industry or a celebrity inside. These days it most likely means it’s a hire car.

Which is a shame, because these cars have so much to offer for those who want the size and space, but really don’t need an SUV. Let’s be frank, the modern SUV is simply bigger, taller and heavier than it needs to be, because nobody is taking their Bentley bush-bashing.

So, getting back to the original question about a car with space, performance and exclusivity, the answer could be the latest-generation Audi A8, specifically the performance-enhanced S8 version. While always in the shadow of its more popular Mercedes and BMW rivals, the S8 has long had something of a cult following.

The S8 in ultra blue

The first generation, which launched in 1994, featured an all-aluminium body frame, which made it both lighter and stronger than a steel version would be. The S8 arrived in 1996, adding a more powerful V8 engine, bigger wheels and sports suspension. This car became a movie star, appearing alongside Robert DeNiro in John Frankheimer’s car chase-filled 1998 film, Ronin, which only added to its cult status.

The formula that made the first generation a success continues today, with the latest S8 ditching the efficiency-focused 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel in the A8 50 TDI for a far more potent 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine. The engine makes 420kW of power and 800Nm of torque, which means that, despite its size, the S8 accelerates like a sports car, making it a very loud, large wolf in a classy sheep’s clothing.

A look inside the S8

It also helps that the S8 is equipped with a high-tech air suspension system that can predict the road ahead. Using the car’s many sensors and cameras, the suspension system can detect if the road is about to get bumpy and then adjust to compensate. Equally, when you want to corner with some vigour, the suspension gets more taut and the S8 handles like a much smaller car.

This is something that makes the S8 stand out even further from its SUV alternatives. The S8 is a car that you can genuinely enjoy when the road gets twisty, with fabulously direct steering and a responsive and direct chassis, thanks (again) to the clever suspension that allows it to sit remarkably flat.

It’s obviously not a sports car, but on a country back road you’ll be sure to surprise many with how fast this limousine can snake its way through bends and launch itself out of corners with that ferocious V8.

Its other party trick actually speaks to the current trend of buyers preferring SUVs because they’re easier to get in and out of. Whenever you touch the door handle to get in or out of the S8, the air suspension raises by 50mm to give you a more SUV-like height.

Cockpit of the S8

And while it may have an ‘old-fashioned’ exterior design, the interior is utterly modern. Actually to a fault, because Audi is one of the many car makers that have embraced the digital touchscreen over the traditional physical button.

There are two large screens inside the S8 that control almost every function from the air-conditioning to the navigation. Thankfully, there are some key functions controlled by an actual button or dial, such as the sound-system volume, but overall this digital transition lacks user-friendliness on the road, particularly for the older demographic likely to buy one.

The cabin of the S8

On the plus side, the S8 cabin offers plenty of space and comfort, with Valcona leather seats front and rear. While there’s technically space for five, if you treat the S8 like a four-seater, each pew is equally well catered for. In fact, while it may be a sporty and engaging car to drive, this is one vehicle I would enjoy riding in the back just as much as the driver’s seat.

Naturally, all this luxury doesn’t come cheap, with the S8 having a starting price of $273,400. But you do get exclusivity, the kind you won’t find if you buy an SUV, because Audi sold just 21 A8/S8s in 2022, compared to more than 1200 examples of its Q7/SQ7 SUVs.

Obviously that suggests the S8 doesn’t appeal to the masses, but those willing to swim against the tide will be rewarded with a deeply impressive luxury vehicle.