Brother Michael
Well-Known Member
"Something very fast, Audi S8. Something that can shove a bit"
The famous line from the 1998 cult movie Ronin. Larry the wheelman describing the type of car he needs for the upcoming job.
And guess what ? Now I have one as well !!
It's a 1997 Audi S8 with the 4.2L V8 pumping out 350hp to all four wheels via the Quattro-system and all this is controlled by a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The S8 differs from the regular A8 in many ways: stiffer and lower suspension, bigger brakes, sport seats, more power and the engines revs higher.
It's done 139.000km, oil has been changed 1000km ago, brand new winter tyres, brake discs are 6 months old, no oil leaks, no cracks in leather, pedals & steering wheel have no wear at all....what can I say...It's fantastic !! The only thing that is due for replacement in the near future are shocks & springs - it doesn't feel bad, but the back is just a tiny bit lower than the front.
For a 12 year old car it has pretty much everything one can hope for in a car...2-zone automatic air conditioning with vents for rear passengers, electric & heated leather sport seats front AND back, electric sunroof, 6-cd changer, Bose audio-system, anti theft system, Xenon-lights.....
So how does it drive ? Well, it's abig enormous car, being 5m long and wider than S-class and 7-series from the same period. However the chassis setup is pretty near perfection: comfortable and steady when cruising but stiff and responsive enough when you want to have fun. Steering is very quick for a car this size, making city traffic fantastically easy. Not the most accurate and sensitive car out there, E39 5-series M-sport for example is better, but I'd rate this in the same league as a 2005 Mondeo when it comes to steering feel. So very good. The engine has all the torque in the world, 4th and 5th gear are perfect for city traffic.
And my god it flies when you are in the mood !! 0-100km/h is dealt with in around 6.2 seconds, maybe faster if you know your stuff, 2nd gear is good for at least 120km/h and in general it has long ratios. But when you want to stick it in a bend, it shrinks and I mean really feels two sizes smaller. I took it out on a twisty backroad the other day and with 245 tires + Quattro you have to be a mad man in order to be in the ditch. This is genuinely a fun car to drive fast. Of course it is no Mazda Mx-5 nor an M3, but for such a big car, you can have fun with it. And due to the split personality, it becomes a luxury waftmobile when you want to relax and drive home.
I am loving every single moment of it.
Enough of blabbering, here are the first pictures. It's dark, damp, cloudy, the car is filthy and the camera sucks. And it still looks rather good.
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290330.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290333.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290334.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290340.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290338.JPG
And the inevitable:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290343.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290345.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290347.JPG
I will wash & wax it next week and get better pictures then.
The famous line from the 1998 cult movie Ronin. Larry the wheelman describing the type of car he needs for the upcoming job.
And guess what ? Now I have one as well !!
It's a 1997 Audi S8 with the 4.2L V8 pumping out 350hp to all four wheels via the Quattro-system and all this is controlled by a 6-speed manual gearbox.
The S8 differs from the regular A8 in many ways: stiffer and lower suspension, bigger brakes, sport seats, more power and the engines revs higher.
It's done 139.000km, oil has been changed 1000km ago, brand new winter tyres, brake discs are 6 months old, no oil leaks, no cracks in leather, pedals & steering wheel have no wear at all....what can I say...It's fantastic !! The only thing that is due for replacement in the near future are shocks & springs - it doesn't feel bad, but the back is just a tiny bit lower than the front.
For a 12 year old car it has pretty much everything one can hope for in a car...2-zone automatic air conditioning with vents for rear passengers, electric & heated leather sport seats front AND back, electric sunroof, 6-cd changer, Bose audio-system, anti theft system, Xenon-lights.....
So how does it drive ? Well, it's a
And my god it flies when you are in the mood !! 0-100km/h is dealt with in around 6.2 seconds, maybe faster if you know your stuff, 2nd gear is good for at least 120km/h and in general it has long ratios. But when you want to stick it in a bend, it shrinks and I mean really feels two sizes smaller. I took it out on a twisty backroad the other day and with 245 tires + Quattro you have to be a mad man in order to be in the ditch. This is genuinely a fun car to drive fast. Of course it is no Mazda Mx-5 nor an M3, but for such a big car, you can have fun with it. And due to the split personality, it becomes a luxury waftmobile when you want to relax and drive home.
I am loving every single moment of it.
Enough of blabbering, here are the first pictures. It's dark, damp, cloudy, the car is filthy and the camera sucks. And it still looks rather good.
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290330.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290333.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290334.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290340.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290338.JPG
And the inevitable:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290343.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290345.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/br/brothermichael/2009/11/29/PB290347.JPG
I will wash & wax it next week and get better pictures then.
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