I don’t think we need much of an excuse to look at a clean Audi S8. But in case you haven’t been paying attention, the D2 S8 is one of my very favorite Audi models. It’s also one that I haven’t owned, and at some point I’d very much like to change that. Unfortunately for me, time continues to march on and I feel as though every day the chances of finding a very nice S8 that is the perfect fit for me becomes more remote.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great ones that come up for sale, though, and today’s example certainly appears to be ticking the right boxes. From the last year of production, this is one of the 100 Ming Blue over Platinum models brought to the U.S.. Since only 300 made it here in total, any 2003 is worth a look, but this one is especially nice – and, shockingly affordable:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2003 Audi S8 on eBay
Year: 2003
Model: S8
VIN: WAUGU44D53N001835
Engine: 4.2 liter V8
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Mileage: 126,700 mi
Price: $7,100 Buy It Now
2003 Audi S8 1 of 300 for 2003 and 1 of 100 in Ming Blue over Platinum leather. All aluminum body, frame and most of the suspension, factory carbon fiber drive shaft and lowered 20mm compared to the A8. All original paint, very clean and very well maintained. Vehicle was garage kept its entire life. Recently completed:
Timing belt and water pump service
Transmission service
Transmission output shaft seal
Fresh diff oil
Rotors and ceramic pads all 4 corners
New tires less than 20k ago
All 4 rims refinished
Coolant flush
Tune up
Cat converter
Cabin filters
Windshield wipers
Documents available to prove work was completed. Vehicle runs, drives, shifts and stops as it should. All electronics in working order. Check engine light came on for vacuum leak, vehicle was diagnosed with a weak secondary air injection pump. I have a set of 4 brand new tires that will come with the vehicle for the buy it now price. The vehicle has a few very light scratches on the deck lid and 1 on the roof. 1 small ding in the chrome moulding on the driver’s rear door, the driver’s door bottom moulding has 1 broken clip and there is a heat shield over the exhaust that is missing a bolt and it occasionally rattles. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you.I reserve the right to end the auction early as vehicle is for sale locally.
Outside of the very nice condition this car appears in both inside and out, the highlights are the heavy lifting in the engine and transmission department. While this car didn’t have a full rebuild on the tranny, the refreshed fluids and seals should take some of the worry out of the next few years of driving. It’s nice that the timing belt is done, too – those two services represent several thousands of dollars to perform. Couple that with new tires, brakes and refinished wheels and a pleasing color combination, and this one looks to be a smart deal. The seller is upfront that there are a few issues both cosmetically and one CEL issue that you’ll need to budget some repairs on. While the pump itself is only around $300 , factor about a grand to fix that up.
Currently, that leaves this S8 on the market with a no reserve auction for a $6,000 starting price. Even adding in some potential repairs and transport, it seems like a solid deal for a beautiful car.
-Carter
As you say Carter, the first thing knowledgable buyers look at is the tranny. An output shaft seal and fluid flush is not tranny service in my book.
It sounds more like it could be a first pass hopium fix to a more troubling tranny problem. The seller notes invoices. He should post up the details on the Tbelt and tranny work.
Certainly beautiful on the outside and interior though.
Not the same car, but… I learned with my ’06 A8 that these flagship Audis can be very expensive to maintain, and, given my experience, at this millage the car will be entering into a heavier repair cycle.
My A8 was one of the most luxurious and comfortable cars I have ever owned, with plenty of power and was a complete pleasure to drive; I loved it throughout my ownership. But regular very expensive repairs to keep it running and in pristine condition add up quickly. I scratched the itch and no longer desire the combination of extremely complex and old luxury cars. I’d only consider something like this if I thought I could flip it reasonably quickly, enjoying it briefly and moving on to the next car.
Nice duo-tone interior. Tired of the tiresome monotone prevalent now and that had already begun twenty years ago.
@Fstntq – a fair point that a transmission reseal and flush isn’t a rebuild. On the other hand, though, it could also be a careful owner attempting to do preventative maintenance rather than wait for a failure because they’re aware that the S8 transmission is somewhat fragile. Either way, you should probably enter into S8 ownership with the budget and thought that you’ll have to have the transmission apart at some point.
A couple of days ago a minty 2001 100k mi s8 from a trusted seller went for $12.7k at BAT -no proof of the tbelt service though. I know that BAT auctions command a high premium, but still this looks like a fair deal.