Audi’s upcoming Mercedes S-Class AMG rival, the new S8, has been spotted on roads near the Nurburgring.
Even though it’s hard to make out any features with all that vinyl, the S8 tester can be seen sporting a quad-pipe setup and massive brakes, just like the next S7 our spy photographers caught last week.
Once the camouflage does drop, we should see sportier-looking bumpers (front & back) compared to the regular A8, to go with a more aggressive interior and more horses underneath that long bonnet.
Speaking of performance, it’s definitely too early to identify which engine will end up powering the all-new S8, though some sources point at Audi’s current 4.0-liter biturbo V8 – the one that currently produces 520 PS in the present-day S8 and 605 PS in the flagship S8 plus, while others claim that Audi will go the V6 twin-turbo route.
Even if Audi sticks with the V8 power unit for the next-gen model, we still expect some minor tweaks that will ultimately make this a quicker car, although the fact that it will be lighter than the old S8 should help as well in this department – we can thank the MLB Evo platform for that.
Tech-wise, whatever the new-gen A8 gets, the S8 version will also benefit from. We’re talking of course about its fully autonomous system which will be able to control the car at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph), the next-gen MMI infotainment system and the fully automated Park Assist function, plus plenty of other goodies Audi probably hopes will separate their new flagship from the likes of the previously mentioned Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW‘s new 7-Series as well.
The MY2018 Audi A8 is expected to debut within the next six months, with the S8 version to follow sometime after that.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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