AUDI’S HIGH-POWERED S versions of its larger models take to the road this June and follow the downsizing theme of most car makers these days. Out goes the Lamborghini-derived 5.2-litre V10 and in its place is a twin-turbo V8.
That doesn’t mean a drop in power, however, and in the flagship S8 version it still kicks out an impressive 520bhp, with a 0-100km/h time of 4.2 seconds. In the S6 and S7 versions, it has been detuned to 414bhp, but it still packs a serious punch when you kick down.
New features include a cylinder deactivation system which switches off four of the eight cylinders when the power is unrequired, thereby saving on fuel. Little features such as this mean that on the S6 saloon and S7 coupe it incurs an annual motor tax bill of €1,129 rather than the €2,158 one would expect from a big throbbing V8.
The drop in tax bands also has an impact on prices, with the S6 saloon starting at €86,900 and the S7 at €106,540. The flagship S8 will set you back €130,540.