2016 Audi S8 Plus Review

Always thought the Audi S8(with Car DVD Player) is a bit slow and too quiet? Audi comes to your rescue with the new Audi S8 Plus! Its Audi’s ultimate performance limousine based on the A8. We had the exclusive opportunity to test the Audi S8 Plus and it didn’t let us down.

The Audi S8 Plus is based on the third generation S8 which was first introduced in 2012. The S8 has built a solid reputation since its inception in 1996 and true to the original it still combines luxury with performance. One of its signature features is Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive and after a generation equipped with a V10 engine, the latest S8 once again uses a V8 power plant

The new Audi S8 Plus comes with the same 4.0-liter V8 Biturbo engine under the bonnet as the ‘normal’ Audi S8. However, thanks to a raised red line, higher boost levels of both turbos and some other modifications, the V8 engine produces 605hp (between 6,100-6,800 rpm). That is a whopping 85hp more than regular S8 and only 5hp shy of Audi’s halo sportscar the R8 V10 plus.

The S8 Plus also has more torque as the regular S8: 700Nm between 1,750-6,000 rpm and 750Nm for short bursts in overboost mode between 2,500-5,500 rpm. That is also significantly more than the 650Nm of torque of the S8.

This gives the Audi S8 Plus some pretty impressive acceleration figures: 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and 0-200 km/h 12.3 sec. The top speed is raised to 305 km/h with the dynamic packages which comes standard in Germany and some other markets. In other markets the S8 Plus is limited to 250 km/h as standard but that can be lifted to 305 km/h as well by ticking the Dynamic Package on the option list. What about install Android Car Stereo?

The S8 uses a full aluminum chassis which helps to keep the dry weight to 2,065 kilograms. The standard air suspension allows the driver to change between comfort and sport, although even in comfort the ride is fairly firm. The suspension received specific ‘S’ tuning to make sure it not only goes fast in a straight line but also manages to tackle corners quickly. It is only available as short wheel base version which aids the driving dynamics but may leave some customers that want the extra space in the back combined with the best performance left wanting more.

Inside you find lots of leather, alcantara and S8 Plus specific red stitching throughout the cabin. We particularly like the standard alcantara roof trim. In both the front and the rear you find S8 signage but a reference to the Plus is nowhere to be seen. Seating position behind the wheel is very good, seats are comfortable yet offer good side support even for a taller driver as myself.

In the back leg space is obviously not as plentiful as in a long wheel base limousine but is still sufficient. Headroom is better than in some of its sporty competitors like the Jaguar XJR and Porsche Panamera Turbo. Optionally you can also equip the S8 Plus with massage seats in the rear. In general the S8 Plus is very well equipped and it is the only Audi that comes with the assistance package (which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Parking Assistance Plus, Lane Assist and Side Assist) and Audi Connect (including wifi hotspot and live traffic) as standard.

Audio wise a Bose system is standard with Bang & Olufsen as optional extra. In our test car the Bang & Olufsen system did well although it can’t quite match the excellent Burmester system available for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. In the rear you can add rear seat entertainment which includes two 10.2 inch displays, dedicated 20gb jukebox, SD slots, usb, ipod etc, Android Car GPS.