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Last week, I wrote up a lovely Ming Blue 2001 Audi S8, and while it wasn’t the most perfect example out there, it was an honest, well maintained example. It seems that there are a plethora of 2001 models in the United States; more rare are the 2002 and 2003 models of this short-lived sports executive sedan. Today’s example looks like a carbon copy of last week’s example; again in Ming Blue and with the tan Recaro sports interior, this one is one year newer with less miles and the correct 18″ original Avus wheels:
In a recent post, I posed the “do you need the S8” once again when reviewing a clean and properly priced A8. I suggested that for about half the price of a decent S8, you could enjoy most of the experience in a clean A8. Of course, then someone has to go and advertise a pretty clean S8, in the perfect color combination, for just a bit more than an average A8. This 2001 Ming Blue S8 has a lot going for it; the color is great, the interior has those super sport seats, and the major services have just been done. But the best part – hands down – has to be the price:
A few weeks ago, Paul wrote up a low mile 1995 740i, always a favorite of ours here at GCFSB. Also a favorite is the D2 S8. Together, they represent in our minds the pinnacle of large executive designs – fast, comfortable, quiet, and with enough presence to draw respectful looks without being overstated, showy or brash. We also think that these two executive sedans are better looking than the multiple generations that have replaced them. While performance and luxury have increased in both BMW and Audi, in our opinion both of these cars are the high-water marks for their respective brands. So, which would you rather have? Let’s start with the S8:
It’s been a while since we saw Paul’s near perfect Silver Euro 450SEL 6.9 during V8 week last fall. These super-sedans established a trend Mercedes-Benz continues today; stuffing the largest V8 they can find into the largest sedan they can build. For many, it’s a winning combination – while the 6.9 was no slalom-assassin, there was simply nothing else that came close to this combination in the 1970s. Remember, this was the time period where the fastest Audi had around 113 horsepower in Europe. Then there was BMW, producing the 733 which made the Audi look downright slow but was still nearly 100hp shy of the Mercedes. But 1979 signaled the end of an era and the start of a new one, with two turbocharged sedans introduced signaling the future: Audi would release the 200 5T Turbo and BMW the 745i Turbo, and while both still couldn’t come close to the power output of the 6.9 they were much more efficient, modern motors. It wasn’t just the era of the giant motor that was on its way out, either, as the aging W116 was also on the verge of being retired in favor of the newer and more stylish W126 – a car that subsequently has become such a legend even in its own time. It’s easy therefore to discount the importance and significance of a car like the 6.9, but what it did was show us what would happen when engineers dared to let their hair down. Today there’s a lower mile example on Ebay:
I’ve recently been engaged in an email exchange with one of our readers comparing the V8 quattro that I love with the later D2 A8/S8. As much as it pains me to admit it and I love that early D11 V8, the reality is in nearly every measurable way the A8 and S8 are probably just a better choice. First, they’re the best part of a decade newer, and while the styling isn’t DTM worthy the D2 is certainly a great looking car in pretty much everyone’s book. The dimensions are right, the stance is great, and the presence is enormous. The D2 also benefited from the developments of the D11 chassis, and while it’s missing the virtually unstoppable Torsen setup of the V8 quattro, the D2 gained in pretty much every other department; refinement, quality, ride comfort, performance, fuel economy and safety. The top of the heap is one of our favorite cars, the S8 – touting 360 horsepower and a stiffer suspension, this is the one to have: