I have to say that as much of an Audi fanatic as I am, I’ve become increasingly disillusioned with the brand. Perhaps it is their departure from their 1980s and 1990s “screw you, we’re going to build the car WE want to make rather than the car YOU want to buy” manufacturing, but the reality is that early model did not work for sales. Instead, Audi has been forced to go more mainstream in the U.S., and as a result I find myself paying significantly less attention to the new models. I used to wait with eager anticipation for the next upgrade, and I remember literally uttering “whoa” when I first heard about the C4 S6 Plus. Manufactured by quattro GmbH, the turned up V8 produced over 320 horsepower and was mated through a 6-speed manual to all four wheels. Of course, it was also available as an Avant, and so it pretty much made my day for the next decade. I still love the C4 S6 Plus more than any other period Audi, including the RS2.
So, you’d think I would have been ear to the rail when last year Audi launched a Plus version of the S8. But I completely missed it. I wasn’t paying attention. I mean, the regular S8 was already pretty bonkers and can outrun Audi’s own supercar R8. A 4,700 lb sedan is now capable of running 0-60 in under 4 seconds, unrestricted can push 190 mph – yet it’s not just brute force, as with giant tires and ceramic brakes they can out turn and out stop most great 1990s sports cars. So why did Audi need a Plus? There’s a market for these super-sedans, that’s why, and in the midst of the horsepower war between the four manufactures, the S8 Plus is Audi’s “Big Stick”. Horsepower is up 85 (!!!) to 605 and 0-60 crumbles in 3.3 seconds. Insanity? Well, better not look at the sticker price on these fully loaded missiles from Ingolstadt, then…
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2016 Audi S8 Plus on eBay
Year: 2016
Model: S8 Plus
Engine: 4.0 liter twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Mileage: 10 mi
Price: $158,275 Buy It Now
2016 Audi S8 Plus
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This Audi includes:
BANG & OLUFSEN ADVANCED SOUND SYSTEM
Premium Sound System
FLORETT SILVER MATTE EFFECT
NIGHT VISION ASSISTANT
Night Vision
BLACK W/ARRAS RED, VALCONA LEATHER SEAT UPHOLSTERY
Leather Seats
DELETE FRONT LICENSE PLATE HOLDER
DYNAMIC PACKAGE
Rear Spoiler
BLACK OPTIC EXTERIOR PACKAGE
COLD WEATHER PACKAGE
Heated Rear Seat(s)
Transmission w/Dual Shift Mode
Pass-Through Rear Seat
Heated Steering Wheel
AUDI REAR SEAT ENTERTAINMENT W/DUAL 10″ SCREENS
Entertainment System
WHEELS: 9.0″
Aluminum Wheels
DRIVER ASSISTANCE PACKAGE
Lane Departure Warning
Lane Keeping Assist
Adaptive Cruise Control
AUDI DESIGN SELECTION BLACK W/ARRAS RED STITCHING*Note – For third party subscriptions or services, please contact the dealer for more information.*
You appreciate the finer things in life, the vehicle you drive should not be the exception. Style, performance, sophistication is in a class of its own with this stunning Audi S8. No matter the varying terrain or weather conditions, this all-wheel drive vehicle will help you reach your destination safely and securely in a well-appointed cabin with many features found on cars twice the price.
Added comfort with contemporary style is the leather interior to heighten the quality and craftsmanship for the Audi S8 This Audi S8 features a fully-equipped entertainment package for you and your passengers to enjoy wherever you go.
I have to admit, my jaw dropped when I saw this car. Not because of the look, though – honestly, they pretty much all look the same to me and visually I think the RS7 is the only semi-interesting super four-door available today. No, it was the price. Edging $160,000, I couldn’t figure out just how this car got so expensive. So, I went to Audi USA and I built one. Including every option (yes, even Audi Exclusive paint!), I came up $3,000 shy of the asking price on this car. I’m guessing this dealer has also included the gas guzzler tax and destination fees, because otherwise I can’t see how it would get so pricey. Amazingly, it’s not the most expensive big Audi you can buy – opt out a W12 model and you can still beat $160,000. That’s more than double what the top price was on a D2 little more than a decade ago. And if you thought that W8 Passat was a mechanic’s nightmare, consider for a moment what it might be like to try to keep one of these cars running in 15 years. I can’t imagine an independent being able to afford the computer systems necessary to keep the computer systems in this car alive. While the car itself is technically amazing and I’m sure superb to drive cross-country at highly illegal speeds, I’m forced to wonder not at how desirable this car is, but where this acceleration curve – both in terms of speed and price – will end.
-Carter
Love the blog. It is unfortunate that this is the first listing that I felt the need to comment on, because it is going to make me sound like a dick.
This is a terrible looking car for $160,000. What is happening here? Are those oem wheels? Is that the factory panel fit in the rear 3/4 shot? I actually kinda dig the schnoz if I’m honest, but the whole package is a letdown in general and definitely at this price. And that interior, while nice, looks no different from the loaded 2016 allroad I just drove for less than 1/3 the price.
Also, power numbers are pretty nuts from a 4.0, but where would you use it? And dare I say for the money I would actually expect more power from this car. Its amazing how fast the hp war between the boosted Detroit v8 motors will make you scoff at a mere 600hp.
I’ll take it all back if Audi agrees to send real wagons stateside again.
R.S.
Carter, to your last question, ” I’m forced to wonder not at how desirable this car is, but where this acceleration curve – both in terms of speed and price – will end.”, I am forced to wonder about a different curve – Depreciation. Leaving the curb from the dealership is akin to leaving a cliff in terms of future values. With all the electronics that degrade over 15 years of life, most will eventually be thrashed and scrapped because they will be too expensive to repair. the market will value it accordingly.
As for looks and performance – meh…nothing that you couldn’t also find with a competing brand at similar pricing. I am not seeing a reason to discriminate on Audi’s behalf here.
As the owner of a 2003 D2 S8, I don’t know how to respond to this car. I’m impressed by the raw numbers, but the questions about long-term viability and car character are legit.
My D2 requires competent independent mech and a willing checkbook to keep young, but once past those commitments, the upkeep of the car reverts to the same rules that have governed auto care since my grandpa drove a Nash: stay ahead with preventative maintenance, exceed all recommended service measures, know your machine’s specific needs, and expect that a coaxing a car past its 15th birthday means accepting cumulative maintenance bills that will surpass the ultimate retained value of the car.
On the D3, costs and complexity are an order of magnitude higher. And on this S8 Plus, who knows? The strange thing is that modern manufacturing seems to have slain the old issues that made used cars toxic; 100,000 mile engine expiration, rust-through, and physical degradation. Now it’s the innumerable sealed electronic modules that govern the car’s every system. Already, my D2 has a few NLA parts that I have to source through junk-yards and eBay. What happens after the 12-year federal parts mandate lapses for these newer cars and you wind up with rustproof machines that are 99% physically intact but inoperable due to iPhone-like module death?
Finally, the character question is a serious one for folks who like older Audis. When I was a kid in the mid 1990s, an Audi was a quirky green station wagon with a manual transmission often driven by the parents of your nerdiest friend. These days? Now I’m the nerd and the Audis are mainstream cool… but only a few still intrigue like those old green A6 Quattro wagons.
Best,
Tim
I am in the same camp; I have almost given up on Audi. I fail to see the short or long term relevance of most modern rolling stock these days. The good news is that my sentiment just reenforces my appreciation for GCFSB.
First, I am with Carter in that I am a huge Audi fanboy (my S5 is my 11th), and the existence of a new “PLUS” model was news to me.
Secondly, you cannot, you should not, you better not, criticize Audi alone for building a $150K+ car that will be impossible to service and repair in 15 years. Benz and BMW have been doing this longer than Audi, and their current top offerings will suffer the same fate…as Tim pointed out so well; you’ll have a 15 year old car with zero rust and perfect paint…but the electronics will be all dead and NLA.
Audi/BMW/Benz builds these cars because rich people demand them. These customers don’t care about depreciation cliffs, 15 year part availability, or any other such plebeian concerns. They want stupid luxury (Benz integrated air fresher anyone?), and crazy power, and it must cost more than their neighbor’s car. Do these owners ever drive it at the limit? No. Do they hit 60mph in 3.9 seconds on a regular basis? No.
” … a well-appointed cabin with many features found on cars twice the price.”
LOL
Nice 2016 Chevrolet Malibu!
Some great comments! Thanks everyone for taking the time to contribute!
@Skipshift – great to hear from you, you don’t sound like a dick, I agree completely!
@Buzz – agree too, and not discriminating. If anything, the S8 is one of the overall better looking and price options to me. But, I don’t have any desire to own one (or any of the other mega-sedans).
@Tim – good to hear from a S8 owner! I hope to be a D2 S8 driver one day. The thing is, when the S8 launched I dreamed of the day I could own and drive one (I still do!) But I don’t think there’s a group of late teens/early 20 somethings sitting around saying Geez, I hope these become affordable enough that I can own one! I was using the analogy of my first walkman (then later, discman! OOOOO!). I coveted them, treated them well and tried to keep them running as long as I could. And, I used it until it absolutely died. Today, though, we get a phone – and before the phone is broken, we’re already looking to get another newer phone with more features. The same seems to go for cars.
@Early8Q – thanks! And always glad to see comments on the posts from you guys, it means a lot – probably more than you know.
@Christian – Again, agree completely, but in my mind the new S8 Plus is most out of character with Audi’s history compared to BMW and Merc’s top products. Go back to ’89 and you had the 750iL, the 560SEL, and the V8 quattro. Each filled a niche and were very unique, but today they’re pretty much all the same – all wheel drive, million horsepower tech gadgets. The performance is a massive gain and the fit and finish is (generally) astounding, but the end result somehow feels like a loss for fans of each marque.
@Brad – I didn’t see that first time around and good catch – so, what do I expect in a $320,000 car, then? How about 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a 3 car garage, an eat in kitchen, a wrap-around porch and a nice yard in a reasonable neighborhood?
@Rene – nailed it. The Malibu completely ripped off all these cars but whatever, it looks pretty similar and costs $20K. And the original owners will probably hold on to them longer!
Thanks again everyone!