Audi S8 — Driving, Engines & Performance: A Grand-Touring Adventure

Under the bonnet sits Audi's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 — an engine architecture that, for me, dovetails with my affection for classic performance engines. It is a modern V8 in every sense: compact, turbocharged and tuned to deliver broad torque across the rev range. The effect on the road is immediate and forgiving: pull away from a traffic light and the torque arrives with authority low in the rev range, making urban progress effortless and motorway overtakes supremely relaxed. There's no frantic upshifting or hunting for the power band — the engine simply has the shove to get you where you want to be.

That shove is made more civilized by the S8's 48-volt mild-hybrid system. I won't pretend to love every piece of electrification on a modern car — as a classic-car enthusiast I cherish mechanical simplicity — but here the mild hybrid is a clever compromise. It allows smoother engine restarts, helps with coasting when the car's on the move, and gives the car a touch of electrical assistance during low-load situations. On long cruises I found the feature transparent: it quietly adds efficiency and civility without interfering with the visceral V8 feel that I adore.

Paired with the V8 is an eight-speed automatic transmission. Its shifts are where modern technology and traditional grand-touring meet best: in Comfort mode it changes with glacial smoothness, almost lazy as you settle into a long-distance groove; switch to the sportier settings and the box sharpens up, holding gears longer and delivering brisk, purposeful snicks that communicate intent. The transmission is not an over-eager dual-clutch unit; it is engineered for refinement first and aggression second, which suits the S8's grand-touring DNA.

But engines and boxes are only part of the story; the S8's quattro all-wheel-drive system is central to how the car behaves in the real world. Drive the car on a wet coastal road at dawn and you'll appreciate the confidence the quattro gives. The system distributes torque proactively, keeping the car neutral through fast sweeps and tame in transition. On a twisty, limestone pass I drove where the tarmac changed every few hundred metres, the S8 never surprised me — it simply tracked, tucked and lunged on command, the electronics orchestrating traction so that the human interface — the steering wheel and the throttle — can remain calm and deliberate.

Steering in the S8 is a study in compromise. It is weighted and precise but not overly communicative like some purist sports sedans. For a grand tourer that's ideal: you want feedback enough to place the car accurately yet not so much that you feel every pebble on the tarmac through the rim. On long mountain descents I appreciated the balance; the front axle tells you plainly what it needs to keep pace yet does not nag. The S8 is more about measured direction than twitchy pointability.

Suspension and ride quality are where the S8 shows its grand-luxe credentials most clearly. Adaptive air suspension with adjustable damping (when equipped) give the car the ability to absorb motorway undulations and then bite when the road tightens. I took the S8 from a satin-smooth autobahn to a backroad with broken surfaces and came away impressed by its composure. In comfort-focused settings the car floats in a manner that evokes long, effortless journeys in older luxury cars — but with the modern advantage of active damping to keep body motion under control. Switch to a firmer setting and the car remains composed, resisting roll with the kind of authority that reassures without jarring the occupants.

Braking is another area where the S8 feels well judged. The combination of potent stopping power and modulation allows you to approach high-speed gear changes with confidence. In repeated high-speed descents the brakes remain strong and consistent; fade is managed effectively, reflective of careful engineering in brake-system cooling and materials selection. The feel at the pedal is weighted and progressive — exactly what you'd want when piloting a heavy yet quick luxury sedan down an alpine run.

Sound is a subtle but crucial part of the S8's character. While it does not howl like a naturally aspirated icon of the past, the V8 has a baritone presence that surfaces under load and adds gravitas to the driving experience. I particularly enjoyed the engine voice when the exhaust valves open at higher engine speeds: it is not gratuitous noise but a reminder that, despite its creature comforts, the S8 is still a performance car in gentleman's clothing.

One important aspect of performance is how the car handles adverse conditions and long-distance travel. I put the S8 through rain, motorway fatigue and a stretch of gravel access road to an inn tucked away in the hills. The car remained composed in rain: quattro plus well-calibrated stability control kept lateral slippage in check. On the motorway the S8 instilled a calm that allowed you to drift into a meditative state while covering miles at a pace that would shrink distances. And on the gravel lane, despite not being an off-roader, it felt unexpectedly capable: suspension compliance meant the car could be driven more quickly than you might expect without the passengers being thrown around.

Fuel economy is often a sore point for those who care for older, carburetted V8s — and I won't pretend the S8 is frugal. However, the mild-hybrid system and modern engine efficiencies do moderate consumption compared with historic large-displacement engines, especially over steady high-speed cruising. In practice, if you're using the car as a true grand tourer — long runs at steady speeds — the economy is acceptable for a high-performance V8 saloon. Drive it like a modern performance car and expect correspondingly modern consumption.

For someone like me who prizes collectability, the S8 is an interesting proposition. It keeps a firm foot in performance tradition with its V8 and rear-biased feel but also carries the technological paraphernalia of the digital age. For long-haul travel and spirited two-lane runs, it's an eminently capable machine. For someone seeking an analogue, raw, pre-electrified experience, it will never replace the simplicity of a classic V8 sedan, but it offers a modern, reliable alternative that is more usable day-to-day.

As for reliability and real-world ownership, Audi's engineering pedigree is evident in the S8's build quality. The car's complexity means service costs can be higher than simple, classic machines, and the electronics-heavy systems demand proper maintenance. In return you get a level of performance, safety and comfort that vintage cars simply cannot match.

In the end, the driving experience of an S8 is about balance. It is not the loudest or the starkest sports sedan, but in a world where speed and civility often compete, it manages to be both authoritative and agreeable. On long trips it is a companion; on faster roads it is a professional. For me, the S8 never loses sight of what a great grand tourer should be: it offers the right mix of engine character, mechanical refinement and travel capability to make a thousand miles feel like less, and a mountain pass feel like the main event.