If you exclude the Lamborghini V10 powered R8 supercar, Audi's most powerful machine is the S8 plus. It was unveiled yesterday with a new version of the 4.0 TFSI engine that makes as much power as seven A1 superminis.
With 605 hp and 700 Nm of torque, it's only natural that the A8 plus would capture everyone's attention. It's not every day that a German manufacturer updates one of its performance sedans in such a major way.
The A8 range will probably never have an RS model because there isn't demand for it, at least according to Ingolstadt sales counters. However, the S8 plus is the next best thing. It might not have the massively flared wheel arches or the air intakes, but it comes with an updated exhaust and a limited slip differential at the back.
Another thing Audi will never have is an A8 Avant. Despite an overwhelmingly positive response to the Prologue Avant concept, company CEO Rupert Stadler recently said big wagons are out of the question.
There isn't enough demand from China or the US, he says. That kind of spoils the cool picture we want to share with you. It's a rendering of an S8 Avant plus model, created by X-Tomi Design. Painted in brushed silver and with lots of black details, the car looks like it belongs in an Audi showroom.
Why would you buy an S8 Avant instead of the mental RS6? Well, the hardware is pretty much the same, starting with the 4-liter twin-turbo V8 and ending with the brakes and the 8-speed automatic gearbox.
So what would happen in a fictional drag race between the two? Well, the RS6 gets to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds while the S8 plus takes 0.1 less. While the bigger of the two delivers 293 PS per ton, the RS model delivers slightly less at 289 PS.
Thanks to the UK market press release, we can also add price to the discussion. Available in October, the S8 plus sedan stickers for £97,700 OTR, making it more expensive than any RS model, including the £78,790 RS6.
The A8 range will probably never have an RS model because there isn't demand for it, at least according to Ingolstadt sales counters. However, the S8 plus is the next best thing. It might not have the massively flared wheel arches or the air intakes, but it comes with an updated exhaust and a limited slip differential at the back.
Another thing Audi will never have is an A8 Avant. Despite an overwhelmingly positive response to the Prologue Avant concept, company CEO Rupert Stadler recently said big wagons are out of the question.
There isn't enough demand from China or the US, he says. That kind of spoils the cool picture we want to share with you. It's a rendering of an S8 Avant plus model, created by X-Tomi Design. Painted in brushed silver and with lots of black details, the car looks like it belongs in an Audi showroom.
Why would you buy an S8 Avant instead of the mental RS6? Well, the hardware is pretty much the same, starting with the 4-liter twin-turbo V8 and ending with the brakes and the 8-speed automatic gearbox.
So what would happen in a fictional drag race between the two? Well, the RS6 gets to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds while the S8 plus takes 0.1 less. While the bigger of the two delivers 293 PS per ton, the RS model delivers slightly less at 289 PS.
Thanks to the UK market press release, we can also add price to the discussion. Available in October, the S8 plus sedan stickers for £97,700 OTR, making it more expensive than any RS model, including the £78,790 RS6.