The asking price of around £103,000 might seem high - it is high - but that's significantly less than you'll pay for comparable models in this category like the BMW M6 Competition Gran Coupe and the Porsche Panamera Turbo. And of course, this flagship A8 model is opulently equipped, particularly if you pay more for 'Black Edition' or 'Vorsprung'-equipped versions. One particular highlight lies with the standard sport seats, which feature wide ranging power adjustment, pneumatically adjustable side bolsters and separate three-stage heating for each seat. In addition to this, ventilation and massage functions are available.
The 38 driver assistance systems that Audi provides for the S8 are divided into the 'City' and 'Tour' packages. The latter is standard and includes Adaptive cruise assist - which combines the functions of adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist and lane tracking. In combination with predictive efficiency assist, this set-up brakes and accelerates the S8 in anticipation of the conditions ahead. In the 'City assist' package, 'Audi pre sense side' joins the systems 'pre sense front' and 'pre sense rear' to create 'Audi pre sense 360'. If the system detects an impending side impact, it can operate together with the predictive active suspension to instantly raise the body by as much as 80mm. This brings the sill into a better position to absorb the impact energy, mitigating the potential consequences of the accident for the occupants. If you tick all the safety and autonomous driving system boxes, this car will be fitted out with five radar sensors, six cameras, twelve ultrasound sensors and a laser scanner.