Audi S8 News

The 2015 Audi A8 sedan now boasts more powerful and efficient engines and a range of new assistance systems.Designers have tweaked the exterior styling, as the patterns in the lights are new and the grille and lower bumper are more sculpted. For the interior, Audi now offers more options including ventilation and massage functions on more models.What is new are some of the electronic assistance systems. These include lane assist, parking assist, a head-up display and a night vision assist that can recognise both animals and pedestrians. Watch the video here  

Audi's A8 flagship sedan has been refreshed for the 2015 model year and now boasts engines that are even more powerful and efficient, a bevy of new assistance systems and in certain markets innovative Matrix LED headlights with integrated sequential turn signals.The updates are crucial in light of the arrival of a brand new S-Class and a recently updated BMW 7-Series, and should keep the A8 fresh until a successor arrives around 2016.DESIGNDesigners have tweaked the exterior styling, though you'd have to be an Audi die-hard to spot the changes. The patterns in the lights are new and the grille and lower bumper more sculpted. At the rear, the lights have been made flatter and all models, except the S8, now have square-shaped exhaust tips.HIGH-TECH LIGHTSThe Matrix LED tech debuting on the 2015 A8 will allow drivers to leave the high-beam permanently on. The lights use an array of individually controlled LEDs that can automatically split a beam to block out sections that may blind other motorists.The sequential turn signal, meanwhile, uses individual LEDs that illuminate in a defined sequence in the direction that the driver wishes to take. But as yet, we've not been given confirmation that the high-tech feature will come to Australia.ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONSAs for the drivetrain lineup, the 3.0-litre V6 TFSI now boosted by 15kW to 228kW and 420Nm, while the 4.0-litre V-8 TFSI rates at 320kW (up 11kW) and 600Nm. Also unchanged is the output of the range-topping S8's 382kW/650Nm twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8.The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 also gets a boots of 6kW to hit 190kW and 550Nm, while the twin-turbocharged 4.2-litre V8 diesel is lifted 25kW and 50Nm to deliver 283kW and 850Nm. The current eight-speed automatic transmission continues as standard, with the S8 and 4.2-litre diesel quattro getting a sport differential.INTERIORFor the interior, Audi now offers more options including ventilation and massage functions on more models. Electrically adjustable, individual rear seats are also available as an option across the range. Otherwise, things inside haven't changed much. 2015 Audi A8 owners are still coddled in the finest leather and wood trim, and they still have access to all of the car’s various electronic features via the MMI navigation plus interface.TECHNOLOGYWhat is new are some of the electronic assistance systems. These include lane assist, parking assist, a head-up display and a night vision assist that can recognise both animals and pedestrians. Though it hasn’t been announced yet, expect the range to offer full 4G LTE high-speed broadband support. The 2015 Audi A8 range makes its official world debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show on September 10 and should land in Australian showrooms mid next year.www.motorauthority.com 

The lineup looks like the regular A8. That's until you catch the bigger brakes and wheels, hunkered-down suspension and quad-tip exhaust that always point to Audi's S cars. The S8 is rumoured with a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine later this year.

Their objective is to build a luxury car with real punch, and worthy of the S8 badge it will eventually wear.  Testing is in top gear for a public unveiling later this year, most likely at the Paris Motor Show, with sales early in 2011. As yet there is no confirmation of the car's engine, but it is most likely to be a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 with more than 375 kiloWatts and 600 Newton-metres of torque.  The Carparazzi crew caught this S8 prototype during tests and, although it looks like a blacked-out standard A8, there are plenty of ways to pick it from the luxury limousine. There is no S-type body tweaking but it has giant brakes, six-caliper pistons and a four-tip exhaust system exiting beneath the back bumper.  The car also rides lower on bigger wheels.  Look for more details in Carsguide as they arrive from Europe.

Physics tells us that even a Ferrari pushed to the extreme will eventually lose its grip on the road, often with cataclysmic results.It happens when the gravitational force acting on the car exceeds the driver's desire to go in the other direction.We know because we found the limits of the bright yellow Porsche Cayman that we were driving on Dubai's $150 million grand prix circuit last week.The beauty of race tracks, at least modern ones that is, is that they are designed for this eventuality, with run off areas where cars can slide harmlessly to a halt without hitting anything.My little "off" happened on a section of the circuit doused with water, part wet and part dry, to make things that little bit more challenging.Reaching the apex of the corner, I applied too much throttle too soon (at least that's the way I remember it) forcing the rear of the car to flick sideways.I watched as the Porsche in slow motion described a full circle around me before coming to a rest.Intact, but with a slightly bruised ego, I was able to drive off again, hardly missing a beat.In fact, it was over so quickly, that no one realised it had even happened - but they say confession is good for the soul.We were in the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of Pirelli tyres to test their new high performance P Zero.The Italian manufacturer reckons the P Zero is the best performance tyre in the world and it is a claim I find difficult to dispute.The Dubai circuit was divided into a number of areas, each with a different exercise designed to highlight the advantages of the tyre.At each stop there was a smorgasbord of cars from which to chose, but before we got started we treated to some hot laps in the V10 Lamborghini Gallardo,At full noise, in the hands of a professional driver, it's an experience one is not likely to forget in a hurry.As a matter of fact, I recorded the event and it is destined to live for evermore as a ring tone in my mobile.The most telling exercise of the day was one where we drove around and around in a tight circle on a wet and slippery section of track.Two Audi TTs were provided for the exercise, one fitted with P Zeros, the other with a competitor's tyre.At the risk of sounding like an advertise- ment, they were like chalk and cheese - the P Zero had appreciably more grip.We were able to drive a number of different cars on the day, not all of them fitted with Pirellis.They included Audi's S8, Porsche Carrera and Cayman and Boxster and Benz's S 65 AMG, CLS 63 AMG and CLK 63 AMG - to name a few.Although by no means the most powerful of the group, the Porsche Boxster shone on the track, with its sharp handling and responsive six pack.Pirelli is marking the launch of the new P Zero - the fourth since the birth of the original back in 1987 with the Ferrari F40 - with the release of a short film.Called Mission Zero, it's directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Uma Thurman and is a kind of a car chase minus the rest of the movie.It features a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder - finished of course in Kill Bill Yellow.

Providing a backdrop was Mike Seymour from Hunters and Collectors, who performed the band's hit single Holy Grail. The S8 features a massive V10 engine built with help from Audi's subsidiary company Lamborghini. The new powerplant delivers 331 kW of power at around 7,000 rpm. Due for local launch around November this year, the S8 will be priced from around $250,000. Audi also unveiled its new Q7 SUV, to be available from September and the $170,000 RS4, available from April.