Something very fast; something that can shove a bit.

Brother Michael

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
2,039
Location
Inkoo, Finland
Car(s)
-02 BMW 530d Touring M-Sport
"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 a big 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.
 
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God, i want one of those... Congrats to the car! :)
 
There's a continuity error, the Taxi changes position between shots! Your life is obviously scripted! I will never watch your life again!

(oh wait, this is not a TG episode discussion....)

Nice car you got yourself there!
 
NAAAAAICCCEEE! very very nice!

indeed something that can shove a bit, brilliant car!
 
Alright,a a few months ago you were struggling to get by and now you have an S8?


Screw you man, seriously! :p



Also, you NEED to get a replacement exhaust that you can put on after every MOT:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maygdvKBV9s[/youtube]
 
Audi's must depreciate faster in Europe than here; there is no way I could afford that.

:(

And it is an A8 with a stick shift. DAMN!

:( :(
 
Alright,a a few months ago you were struggling to get by and now you have an S8?

Screw you man, seriously! :p

Also, you NEED to get a replacement exhaust that you can put on after every MOT:

*awesome sound*

Well...steady job + loan from the bank does wonders for one's financial situation ;)

And I jizzed myself from the sound of that S4....god damn. Though that is, I think, a bit too much for my waftmobile, but yes, a new exhaust system is in my plans sometime next year.

Audi's must depreciate faster in Europe than here; there is no way I could afford that.

:(

And it is an A8 with a stick shift. DAMN!

:( :(

You really have no idea how little these things cost...I paid 7400? for mine + the taxes will be around 3000?. These things can be had for very little money, as long as you go shopping outside of Finland. 10.000? will get you a very decent example of facelifted post 2001 models.
 
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That is :drool:-tastic!


How much did it cost you, if you don't mind me asking?
/edit: Nevermind, above post answers that question!
 
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Well...steady job + loan from the bank does wonders for one's financial situation ;)

And I jizzed myself from the sound of that S4....god damn. Though that is, I think, a bit too much for my waftmobile, but yes, a new exhaust system is in my plans sometime next year.

So it's the banks car, not yours :p

Anyway, you should just find a used S8 or A8 V8 exhaust, cut away all the mufflers & cat, and replace them with straight exhaust pipe bits from motonet or biltema. Then you can have 2 exhausts, the stock one for MOT checks and standard driving, and a yob-loud one for those summer weekends.. It only takes about 2 hours to swap the exhaust out (a lot less if you have good tooling) Just pop it on in the summer when you feel like having the best sounding car in the neighbourhood :D
 
Superb, but you don't need me to say it!

Enjoy the car mate, glad to see things are working out for you :)

I am green with jealousy and envy at how cheap cars are over there. I need to use the savings I have in my bank and purchase a one way ticket to Scandinavia. I'll crash on your floor until I fix up a place of my own. See ya soon...:p
 
<3 that shape, properly classic, like the late E38 with the twin 5 spoke sports rims.

Congrats!
 
Nice car, those plates are Estonian? Or Swedish or something? Did it come with full service history?
How's the city gas mileage out of curiosity?

I keep spotting these (A8's and S8's) around my town, very common car for a large executive sedan, so must be good value for money. Repairs must be a bitch though so let's hope there will be few of those. :D
 
Congratulations, I love that model S8 :drool: looks like it's in a very good shape, take care of it :D
 
Very nice, man! Always loved that bodystyle :)

Enjoy the car!
 
The letters and numbers are reversed so it must be estonian plates. Very nice car altough I don't want to pay for filling it up. But I think you could sell your house and sleep in that instead without loosing too much comfort. Also your street has a sign that says parked vehicles will be hoisted away by a big crane.
 
Gorgeous! See if you can find some of the stock 19" BBS rims for it (think last RS4) I think it would make it complete.

Seriously my favorite S8 by far.
 
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