BY TONY QUIROGA
With the launch of the V-10 engine in the Audi S8 and S6 sports sedans, Audi's U.S. lineup now offers seven engines, varying from four to 12 cylinders (even numbers only), and the future is rumored to involve a return of the turbocharged five-cylinder in the Audi TT-RS sports car. The brand seems to be ruled by the creed "When in doubt, offer one of everything." To that end, Audi makes full use of its partners within the Volkswagen Group to make sure it has every configuration the competition offers. Although Audi does produce its own exclusive engines, a few are shared with Volkswagen, Bentley, and now Lamborghini.
And so it came to pass that Audi's aluminum A8 model got a Lamborghini-derived V-10. To pay homage to the marriage of the trophy V-10 to the old-guy A8, Audi calls the more powerful car an S8. In addition, it has a firmer suspension with 20-inch wheels instead of the standard 18- or 19-inch wheels on other A8s; and there are space-shuttle-grade brakes borrowed from the A8L W-12 model. Does this sportiest of A8s have a leg up on the BMW and Mercedes-Benz competition?
Currently, the other German brands don't offer direct competition, but Mercedes-Benz does have a 507-hp S63 AMG arriving soon, although its price should exceed the S8's $94,420 base sticker. BMW has an M3 and an M5 but no M7 version of its 750i, although that big Bimmer sedan does cost less than an S8 and offers a compelling Sport package. Is a Lambo engine just what the big Audi sedan needs to stand apart from the competition?
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