2001 Audi S8 Gets Destroyed by Modern S3 and A8 TDI in Drag Race

The target for ridicule today is a 2001 Audi S8. It's as classic as it gets, a facelift for the D2, which was the first generation for the model. Considering its two decades old, the design isn't that bad. It's got a certain retro charm but is that 4.2-liter V8 enough?

On paper, it should be, as it's the most powerful engine here, with somewhere between 340 and 360 HP. By comparison, the S3 only makes 310 HP. We know this yellow hatchback has a middle silencer delete, though this shouldn't affect the output of the 2.0 TFSI turbo engine.

The new A8 is there just to prove how far normal cars have come. It's powered by a normal 3.0 TDI with only 286 HP but has more torque at its disposal than the other two. quattro all-wheel drive has been fitted to all the contenders, though the S3's launch control may give it an advantage.

In our opinion, the gearbox is another thing holding back the 2001 Audi, just like it would be for any other classic car. It's slow to respond at first and changes gears more slowly. Two decades from now, we're going to be looking at the ZF 8-speed and say "why the heck did they use gearboxes when electric cars are clearly better."

The S3 gets a good lead in the first race and dominates in the second one as well, where the A8 TDI just barely nudges ahead of the classic. Its modern brakes are more than up to the challenge of the stopping test, as we saw in an older drag race event against the BMW 840d and Mercedes E 400 d Coupe.