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Audi S8 Plus and RS7 Performance US Prices Announced, and They Don’t Come Cheap

Audi has given the S8 sporty limousine and RS7 even sportier four-door coupé new models each, with the first getting the “plus” designation while the latter is called “performance.”
Audi S8 plus 1 photo
Photo: Audi
Both models share the same engine - a 4.0-liter TFSI V8 unit capable of delivering 605 hp and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm). That’s an 85 hp increase in power over the outgoing S8, which means even more impressive performances for the Audi flagship. And to top it all off, the new model comes with an overboost function that temporarily pumps the maximum torque figure all the way up to 553 lb-ft (750 Nm).

Regarding pure performance, the new S8 plus accelerates from 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds, while the top speed has a typically German electronic limitation at 155 mph (250 km/h). However, there is an optional Dynamic package that raises that threshold to 190 mph (305 km/h).

The S8 plus comes standard with the quattro all-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission for ideal power distribution, helped by a rear sport differential. Handling is further enhanced by the adaptive sport air suspension and dynamic steering.

Inside, the usual level of quality we’ve come to expect from Audi is still present, but what sets the S8 plus apart from the rest of the range is on the outside. The new model comes with a rear spoiler painted in the exterior body color, silver mirror housings, and a new set of 21” five-double-arm titanium wheels.

The RS7 performance is 0.1-seconds faster to the 60 mph limit than the larger S8 plus, but it ultimately has the same top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h). What sets the new model apart from the standard RS7 are the carbon ceramic brakes, the RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), plus the redesigned bumper with a rear diffuser and black tailpipes or the carbon fiber mirror housings. Just like the S8 plus, the RS7 performance also gets an exclusive set of 21” cast aluminum wheels.

Both the S8 plus and the RS7 performance will become available during the next month, with starting MSRPs of $114,900 for the Audi S8 plus and $129,000 for the RS7 performance.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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