Audi is working on a new generation of its A8 and you can bet there will be a sporty S8 variant among the redesigned lineup.
Prototypes for what’s likely to be the new S8 have just been spotted. The four individual exhaust tips at the rear is a clear giveaway that this isn’t a standard model.
There isn’t much else to differentiate the S8 prototypes from previous testers for the standard A8 but we should see a few new details as development progresses. These will likely include new bumpers and beefier brakes.
The formula for the new S8 will stay pretty much the same as the current model, with a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 mounted up front and driving all four wheels. Output should come close to or match the 605 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque with overboost (516 lb-ft normally) of the current S8 Plus. An 8-speed automatic should also remain standard. As we hear in the spy video above it sounds proper with a throaty V-8 note despite being turbocharged.
The redesigned A8 lineup, the fourth generation of the Audi flagship sedan, is being designed around the Volkswagen Group’s latest’s MLB platform. The new platform will bring weight savings plus next-generation electronic driving aids.
The standard A8 bows later this year, as a 2019 model. It’s likely the S8’s reveal will be delayed until next year.
