First Drive: Audi S6 And S8 Quattro

By Ray Leathern on 20 October, 2012 in Featured, Road Tests

Ray Leathern is happy to report that the brutal, bahn-storming, Quattro Audis he knows and loves are back with a vengeance in S-model guise.

2012 Audi S8

After two days of pile-driving through the Eastern Cape in monsoon rain and white squalls, I can testify that Audi are back. “What is this guy on about, I didn’t know Audi ever left.”, you may be thinking to yourself. You see, the Germans are good at many things. Two things they are unutterably terrible at, however, are A, having a sense of humour, and B, seeing a competitor doing something they aren’t.

Audi are imperiously guilty of falling into this trap. If Mercedes-Benz has a type of car that Audi don’t, they must build one immediately. If BMW are re-writing the rule book with a new niche model, Audi will try develop their own alternative without hesitation. For some reason Audi are so reactionary with their product planning and they freely admit they want to be everywhere all the time. Things like the Q3 and A1 (which I really don’t mind in philosophy actually) can drive an Audi fan up the wall, but then, all of a sudden, the clouds roll over to darken the sky, Audi LED daytime running lights glint brightly through the fog, and a pitch perfect V8 thrum pings the back of your earholes.

The moment arrives when the didactic control freaks at Audi just let go, they forget about their sales targets and their corporate manifestos to be the premium leader by 2020. They (excuse my French) cut the crap and do what they do best, which is to churn out a road mincing fleet of big, hard-riding, traction all-the-time, power all-the-time, highly-powered V8 super saloons. The Audi S6 in particular is one I’m very fond of and I might go so far as to say it’s the best Audi I’ve ever driven when one considers the price, power, economy and specification. The S8 is a high-power, great value proposition too, and although I sadly didn’t get a chance to drive the S7 Sportback, I’m told its also just as sharp suited. (One of my colleagues flew past the car change rendezvous point on the local launch at such a rate that I doubt he was even aware of the scheduled stop.)

The tool with which Audi will successfully achieve a premium ‘coup de grâce’ is an all-new 4.0-litre TFSI V8 with twin-turbo induction and direct injection technology, put to work fresh from its work experience in the new Bentley Continental GT. Let’s start from the top of the food chain shall we. In the flagship Audi S8 limousine, the V8 TFSI cranks out 382 kW and 650 Nm of torque. That peak torque figure is available in the flattest curve you ever did see, all the way from 1 700 to 5 500 r/min.

2012 Audi S6

I discussed over dinner with someone from Audi how ironic it was that petrol engines these days are being given ‘traditional’ diesel characteristics of quick, flat, torque curves for mid-range punch and fuel economy, while diesel engines are being designed to perform like their petrol counterparts with more revs and taller power curves. It’s quite bizarre when you consider that switch in the consumer mind-set from each technology. Food for thought perhaps, but I digress.

The S8 is allied to a stunning eight-speed, double-clutch transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. This combination sees the S8 launch from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and all the way to a limited 250 km/h top speed. Thanks to Audi’s automatic engine stop/start function and new cylinder-on-demand technology that regulates four of the eight cylinders, performance is available at the expense of just 10.5 L/100 km. An improvement over the 13.5 L/100 km of the old, V10 powered S8, which had 50 kW less power.

2012 Audi S6

Maximum stately-ness is guaranteed across all the S-models, but particularly in the S8 with ANCS or Active Noise Cancelling System that broadcasts an anti-phase sound through the speakers into the cabin to eliminate intrusive sound. As do electronically controlled engine bearings that are programmed to ‘counter pulse’ with the engine to cut out low frequency noise and vibrations. Audi’s adaptive air suspension keeps the S-models’ big wheels well damped and big bodies well-controlled. In addition, the standard fitment of Audi’s rear sports differential on the S8 means it could shift around the tight pass down to Natures Valley, with rock-falls and debris strewn across the road, with great confidence and agility considering its size.

If this sporting pretence doesn’t quite translate in the top dog S8 limousine, because the S8 does weigh in the region of 1 900 kg and quite frankly who can blame you for thinking that, the more compact S6 saloon is the pick of the bunch when it comes to sport saloons. Featuring a detuned version of the V8 TFSI, both the S6 and S7 Sportback make 309 kW and 550 Nm and also benefit from the auto stop/start technology to help consumption down to a claimed figure of 9.7 L/100 km. The S6 makes use of Audi’s 7-speed S-Tronic transmission, but will still hustle from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Although I didn’t drive it, I’m told the S7 is 0.1 of a second slower to 100 km/h because it’s slightly heavier.

2012 Audi S6

The S6 has a great ruckus emanating from its quad tail pipes (the quad pipes are a signature of S-models, along with the aluminium-look wing mirrors). The S6 is 10 mm lower than its A-badged counterpart and while it does ride on adaptive air suspension as standard, the rear sports differential and carbon ceramic brakes will have to be specified.

The conventional S6 saloon may only be a conservative evolution of the staid Audi, three-box style, but it has been given a stimulating stance in S-guise with a more striking front bumper treatment and a subtle rear boot spoiler. Don’t forget that S-models are supposed to be on the sly, they’re supposed to be sleeper cars that don’t shout about their performance overtly. It works.

2012 Audi S6

I personally loved the solidity and fantastic build quality of the S6. You really get a sense that it is a quality product. My car was fitted with head-up display, Sat Nav, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, the works; and all of it created a really clinical, high speed, focused, luxurious and secure drive. I even loved the brutal and yet distant rumble of the exhaust note. It sounds business like, sonorous and absolutely fitting for the car.

Handling-wise and drive-wise it was in a class of its own through the pouring rain. Trust me, a rear wheel drive BMW or Mercedes-Benz couldn’t have hoped to keep up with the speeds the S6 was achieving in such conditions. We joked over dinner that Audi always seems to arrange events around the rainy season in the rainiest areas of the country, but the composure this car showed in the wet and through massive pools of standing water was nothing short of spectacular.

2012 Audi S6

The best part of the story, however, is how attractively priced these S models are. I think the prices for the S6 and S8 specifically are an absolute bargain. Also don’t forget that the Audi S models don’t actually have any direct competitors from AMG and M for instance. Audi S6, S7 and S8 are priced considerably lower than a BMW M5 or Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which are of course more powerful so you’d have to consider a Mercedes-Benz E500 or similar, but if it were my money, I’d take the refined yet brutal Audi S6 in a heartbeat. That’s a sub-performance brand niche Audi can be proud they’ve snouted out for themselves. More to the point however, Audi have just got on with what they do best; they’ve made a trio of great, powerful, well priced Audis again.