A test with the Audi A8 L W12. Watch our other video’s on www.AutoWeek.TV

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Audi

With an all-new Audi A8 arriving in the coming months, a higher performance S8 can’t be far behind. This particular image originated from a reader on the World Car Fans forum, but it certainly looks plausible. The wheels are straight off the R8 V10 and the front fascia is an evolution of the look we’ve seen on S and RS models from Audi for the past several years.

Power will no doubt be plentiful, although we don’t yet know which engine will power the new model. The previous generation used a 450-horsepower 5.2-liter V10, but the new A8 has already been spec’ed out with a 500 hp 6.3-liter W12.

The S8 will surely have at least that much power, although Audi has been on an engine downsizing kick lately. The latest S4 and S5 cabrio went from a V8 to a supercharged V6. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the engineers at quattro GmbH cook up a new boosted V8 with over 500 hp for this and other future high performance Audis.

We expect to see the real S8 arrive by the time of the Paris Motor Show in September, but this reader rendering will have to do for now.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Audi S8 leaked? Nope, it’s a ‘chop originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 May 2026 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Audi, Luxury

When the Audi S8 was nixed from the automaker’s lineup late last year, the news produced a collective sigh around Autoblog Towers. Audi’s largest, most powerful sedan held a special place in our hearts, but redemption appears to be right around corner - the N

journey to italy 3200km in 5 days for more car madness check out: www.youtube.com

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Audi, Luxury

Check out what a very cold spy photographer snapped some pictures of. This car could very well be the upcoming Audi S8. Of course, as the car in the photos is totally unmarked, this could just be another variant of the big Audi. We’ve suspected for some time that a new S8 is coming, and we hear that it’s most likely headed over to our shores. However, we’ve know next to nothing about what type of terror resides under the hood. Until today.

Unlike the last (frankly underpowered) S8, this new big-fast sedan is dropping the choked-off, Lamborghini-derived V10 in favor of a new twin-turbo V8. The good folks at Car and Driver are claiming the unit will displace 4.0-liters. Our source at Audi wouldn’t confirm that displacement explicitly, but did say that C/D is, “on the right path.” This same source noted that BMW’s been using a smallish displacement twin-turbo V8 (4.4-liters) in the 7 Series for the past year and that Audi intends to stay competitive.

Our Audi source also noted that the new V8 will be offered in many flavors, and will allow Audi to meet all the emissions and mileage standards coming down the pike in the next five years. We’re told to expect a wide range of configurations, similar to what Audi/Lamborghini did with their shared V10. That means different states of tune for different cars, as well as naturally aspirated and force inducted version. As for power, our source once again confirmed that Car and Driver knows what they’re printing. Meaning that the 450 horsepower/450 pound-feet of torque neighborhood isn’t a bad guess, though the final numbers could be higher.

Back to the car in the heavily cropped photograph (check out Autocar for the complete set of pics), we’re still not 100-percent sure it’s the S8. First of all, there are no visual cues to distinguish this black car from a regular A8, save for the requisite four tailpipes. However, as Autocar notes, the new S8 is said to have bold new bodywork to set it apart from the standard car. Also, examine the brakes. They appear to be larger diameter than the standard brakes, yet they aren’t drilled or slotted. One would think (and we would agree with him) that an S vehicle would have a more serious set of stoppers. After all, even the A8 Hybrid “Concept” has fancier discs. Of course, maybe these are just placeholders used during cold weather testing. Yeah, we’re pretty sure this is the new Audi S8.

[Sources: Autocar, Car and Driver]

Spy Shots: Are you the next Audi S8? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2026 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

If you’re wondering what the likelihood of Audi building a production version of its new e-tron Detroit Concept Car (yes, that’s really its official designation), our sources at Audi indicate that a version of the coupe is likely to go into serial production as the oft-rumored R4.

The German automaker is apparently looking to design a smaller modular platform leveraging the expertise it used to develop the front-engine sedan platform that underpins the new A8 and forthcoming A7, among others. The new mid-engine architecture will likely find homes in a number of Volkswagen Group properties, including a production version of the Concept BlueSport, and perhaps even the next-generation Porsche Boxster/Cayman.

While the e-tron show car is a battery-powered electric vehicle, the production model is likely to be available with either an electric motor or conventional internal-combustion four-cylinder variants.

Given the fact that VW intimated last year that a production BlueSport could be produced at around $25,000, we’re anticipating that the Audi R4 will slot in under the TT in the low-$30,000 range, as the 2010 TT presently starts at $37,800.