Ludicrous luxe-limo revealed: Audi S8 2020 scores thunderous V8 good for 420kW

If you like your luxe-limos with more power than your average dictator, you're going to love the just-revealed Audi S8.

And that's because under that acreage of bonnet there lurks a massive 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8, which, combined with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, produces a whopping 420kW and 800Nm.

And sure, that's not as much as the 450kW and 900Nm on offer from the Mercedes-AMG S63, but it's a significant step up from the 250kW and 500Nm on offer from the most powerful A8 currently on offer; the 55 TFSI.

That power is fed through an eight-speed automatic transmission and fed to all four wheels thanks to the big Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system.

Helping keep the car flat through bends is an active suspension system tuned specifically for the S8 to reduce body roll. The suspension is seriously clever, individually lowering or raising raising each wheel to help the S8 absorb any road imperfections. And it will know they're coming, too, thanks to its forward-facing cameras that monitors road conditions ahead.

Looks-wise, the the S8 is seriously understated, looking more sleek and than sporty, and lacking anything in the way of scoops or wings. Only the new-look front-end, side skirts, dual exhaust tips and red brake callipers poking out from behind the S8-exclusive alloys really point to the power on offer.

We've only seen the top-level data on the S8 for now, but we've reached out to Audi in Australia for more detail, and we'll update this story as more information comes to hand. 

Is the S8 your luxe-barge of choice? Tell us in the comment below.