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In last week’s 10K Practical Performance Edition, a question arose of what was the best ‘Bahn burner for under $15,000. My immediate answer was the Audi S8. It might not be as powerful as the E39 M5 or a slew of Mercs that are available for around the same amount, but the combination of the all-aluminum engine and space frame gives the large executive a smaller feel on the road – and with 360 horsepower, it’s no slouch. It’s also got a great all-wheel drive system; quattro purists don’t love the electronic differentials, but truth told on the fly they work reasonably well and you don’t have to muss and fuss. This isn’t a rally car, anyway. But it is a great looker – the interior and exterior are a beautiful combination of style and presence that few others match. There just aren’t any awkward angles on the D2 in my mind. So, today I’ve rounded up a few examples with the help of our reader, John. Ranging from a first run 6-speed through a last of the D2 2003 model, which would be your color?
I’ve made no excuses about my personal favoritism towards the Audi S8, but I think it’s reasonably justified. The E55 v 500E post from the other day reminded me why; sure, the E55 is a pretty cool car, but as one of the comments noted it looks a bit like a Kia. Park it next to a S8 and that’s brought into even starker contrast. Audi just got it right; the right amount of sport, a great engine and soundtrack, all-wheel drive and a gorgeous and luxurious interior. Today I’ve got three more rare-to-see colors; Avus Pearl, Andorra Red and Pearlesant White. Let’s look at my favorite first:
The Audi S8 is a very special car; a combination of sport and luxury that some of its rivals have managed to exceed in performance, but not necessarily execution. Certainly, newer BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz super-luxury sedans are much faster. Even Audi’s own new S8 and S6 are significantly quicker than the D2, with the best part of twice the power the 4.2 40 valve V8 originally offered. But the package of the S8 is what is so compelling. It’s a great looking car, with hardly an angle where it looks out of proportion. The presence it exudes is massive; it’s no Rolls Royce, but it’s a far cry from any Lexus. By 2003, the last year of the D2 S8 for the United States, there were only a few options on the S8; generally, you just had to choose what shade you’d want. And for the U.S. market, it’s hard for me to feel there is any better color combination for the S8 than the understated Avus Silver Pearl Effect with the not understated at all Oxblood interior. When you see one it what is effectively new condition, it’s amazingly stunning:
While Paul Walker’s RS6 Avant surfacing online this week was pretty cool, and all I ever want is an longroof RS, the tragedy is still a little close for me to spend much time perusing that listing, let alone contemplate owning that car. For now, the more-accessible sedan will suffice just fine, as even in these insane days of horsepower wars threatening 700hp sedans on the horizon, these 450hp AWD executive saloons are still a force to be reckoned with 10 years on. This example comes in the absolutely-perfect Avus Silver Pearl, which makes all silver and grey cars wonder why they don’t shimmer that way. With just over 50k miles it’s quite a fresh example, and the price shows it.
During our recent “4WD Week” I wrote up a 2007 S4 DTM edition, a car that while attractive I felt was pretty overpriced. In fact, I said that even though it was a limited edition I didn’t think it was nearly as desirable as the 2006 run of 250 25th Anniversary of Quattro S4s. These S4s were really like a diet RS4, gaining suspension upgrades, revised exterior pieces and some special interior treatments, and importantly a revised rear sport differential that really transformed the car’s handling. Additionally, the limited S4s got the best looking wheels of the bunch, special Ronals that appeared on both the Ultrasport Titanium package for the A4 and on this car in normal silver. More than just a limited edition sticker and special color (I’m looking at you, Lime Rock Park edition M3), this car was a culmination of lots of little changes that made for a bridge model between the normal S4 and the RS4:
