Audi sedans, even those with an “S” in their names, are usually the epitome of understated style.
But the 2016 S8 Plus that recently showed up for our first full test wore a sinister combination of matte-silver paint, blackout body trim, and carbon-fiber accents. The bad-ass livery wouldn’t make it any faster, of course, but it certainly suits the car’s persona, offering a hint at the stone-cold seriousness with which the S8 Plus comports itself, bristling as it now does with a staggering 605 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque under the hood.
“Surreal” and “Vicious” Still Apply
Actually, our first clue came during a brief preview drive last fall, shortly after Audi introduced the S8 Plus, a model devised to give it the upper hand in the horsepower wars now being fought among Teutonic supersleds. Not that the S8 needed a Plus, really. Even with “only” 520 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, the outgoing S8 was already one of the quickest sedans we had ever tested. But after sampling the S8 Plus, with its additional 85 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque, we described its power delivery as “surreal” and its acceleration as “vicious.”
The S8 Plus also offers a Dynamic package that brings a spicier exhaust system, adds carbon-ceramic brake rotors, and relaxes the top-speed limiter from 155 to 190 mph, and our test car was so equipped. Promising stuff, but we wouldn’t know the measurable effects of its numerous enhancements without strapping on our test equipment.
And so we took to the track in the shimmering silver bullet, and it did not disappoint. Weighing 4611 pounds, virtually the same as the last S8 we tested, the S8 Plus rocketed to 60 mph in an astonishing 3.3 seconds, reaching 100 mph in an equally spectacular 7.8 seconds, besting the S8 by 0.3 and 0.7 second. The rear-biased all-wheel-drive system prevents any of the ample torque from being lost to wheelspin, so neck-snapping launches are as simple as mashing the gas pedal and holding on. And make sure you’re looking far, far ahead.
Not only is the S8 Plus quicker than before, its zero-to-60-mph time makes it one of the quickest four-door sedans we’ve ever tested. The 577-hp Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4MATIC takes 3.8 seconds to hit 60 mph, the 560-hp BMW M5 (3.7 seconds) and the 640-hp Cadillac CTS-V (3.6) cut a fraction or two, the 552-hp BMW M6 Gran Coupe and the 570-hp Porsche Panamera Turbo S both require 3.5, while the 707-hp Dodge Charger Hellcat does it in 3.4. One particularly strong Mercedes-Benz CLS63 S-model did the deed in 3.2 seconds during a comparison test back in 2013, and Audi’s sexy RS7 posted a 3.4-second time during that same test, which also included the aforementioned M6 Gran Coupe. We would be remiss not to mention the Tesla Model S P90D, a big hatchback that trounces them all with its incredible 2.8-second time—as long as its battery charge is 95 percent or more. Even so, the elevated position of the S8 Plus in the ultra-high-performance luxury-sedan pantheon is more than secure.
As quickly as the S8 Plus gains speed, so too can it stop, halting from 70 mph in a short 156 feet. That said, it didn’t improve upon the previous S8’s braking performance despite being fitted with carbon-ceramic brake rotors. Is it too much to expect at least slightly shorter stops when shelling out $11,000 for the aforementioned Dynamic package? And we’d appreciate the brakes being a bit less grabby around town, too. We also were underwhelmed with the S8 Plus’s skidpad performance; its 0.89 g of lateral grip is virtually indistinguishable from the outgoing car’s 0.90 g. What that skidpad figure doesn’t fully convey, however, is the precision with which the big Audi sliced a line across the twisty mountain roads of Southern California’s Angeles National Forest.
Place the chassis-adjusting Drive Select system in Dynamic mode, and the quick and linear steering, torque-vectoring rear differential, and air-spring suspension work together to impart as much verve to the handling as the steroidal engine does to the acceleration.
Six-Figure Figures
The more powerful S8 Plus becomes the only new S8 available in the U.S., and it’s the only A8 model offered in short-wheelbase configuration. But it retains the same $115,825 base price as last year’s non-Plus S8—such a deal!—although equaling the heightened sense of occasion and sybaritic delights on our test car requires a considerably higher investment. The $5500 Audi Design selection includes red-stitched seats, red-infused carbon-fiber trim, extended leather trim, and a piano-black shift lever; another $6300 scores a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system; and the aforementioned Dynamic bundle costs $11,000. Earmark another $6000 for the matte-silver paint and $5500 for the Black Optic package. Finally, add $2100 for the Driver Assistance and $750 for the Cold Weather packages, and the grand total comes to a rather eye-watering $152,975.
If that seems expensive, it is. Most of this Audi’s direct competitors are priced in the same ballpark, however, and for something that combines flagship-level luxury with supercar-baiting acceleration, it’s not altogether unreasonable. The S8 Plus may have been a power play, but it’s one with a real performance payoff.
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