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Interior
The interior shines with craftsman-like fit and finish
and small yet effective accents. The multi-way, power-adjustable comfort sport
seats have been designed exclusively for the S8. They are optionally available
with exclusive seat upholstery in quilted lunar silver. The stitching and piping
are in contrasting steel gray, while the upper inlays on the instrument panel
and tiptronic selector lever present the material Carbon Atlas.
The
leather multifunction sport steering wheel has color-contrasting stitching and
an S8 emblem, which can also be found on the instruments. Typical of the Audi S
models, these have gray dials with white needles - a design which is repeated in
the classic analogue clock. The illuminated door sill trims with the S8 logo are
a further eye-catcher. The display of the driver information system and the MMI
monitor greet the driver with special S8 screens. The shift paddles and pedals
are in an aluminum-look finish; a red ring frames the start button.
The
S8 offers a wide selection of interior colors, inlays and seat upholstery. These
include particularly soft Valcona leather and seats with ventilation and massage
functions. The leather package, a DVD changer, the convenience key with
sensor-controlled lock for the trunk and the ambient lighting package round out
the list of standard interior equipment. The Audi S8 is also equipped with the
innovative LED headlights and double glazing.
Equipment
Beyond the generous standard equipment, Audi makes all of the high-end options
from the A8 series available in the new S8. The driver assistance systems, which
are closely networked with one another and the navigation system, are
particularly innovative.
The core of these is the adaptive cruise control
system with stop & go function; others include Audi side assist, Audi lane
assist, the speed limit display and the night vision assistant with highlighting
of detected pedestrians.
Supplementing these technologies is the safety
system Audi pre sense, which is available in a number of versions. A new break
recommendation function uses steering motions and additional parameters to
detect if the driver is getting tired and issues an appropriate warning.
New to the A8 family is the parking system with 360° camera. Four small cameras
record images of the sedan's immediate surroundings and a computer splices them
together. The driver can call up a variety of views on the MMI monitor,
including a virtual top-down view. The system enhances safety while maneuvering
and in narrow driveways. Special views allow the driver to see cross-traffic.
The MMI navigation plus, which comes standard, represents the
state-of-the-art in infotainment systems. It includes the groundbreaking MMI
touch input system, a large hard drive and a high-resolution 8-inch display. The
high-end system can be combined with the likewise standard Bluetooth online car
phone, which brings special Internet services to the car and provides WLAN
connectivity for mobile devices.
The Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System
with its 1,400 watt amplifiers and 19 speakers impresses with its amazing sound.
Chassis
The new Audi S8 pulls out all the stops when it comes
to the chassis. One of its features is a specially tuned adaptive air suspension
with variable damping, which can vary the ride height of the body between three
levels and thus ensures a wide-ranging driving experience. It harmonizes
perfectly with the dynamic steering, also standard, that adapts its steering
ratio and boost to the vehicle's speed. It uses slight, nearly imperceptible
steering corrections to stabilize handling at the cornering limit.
The
Audi drive select dynamics system encompasses these two systems as well as
engine management, the eight-speed tiptronic and the sport differential. The
driver can determine the function of these components by choosing between the
five modes comfort, auto, dynamic, individual and efficiency.
The
standard, S-specific wheels measure 9 J x 20 and are shod with 265/40-series
tires. Audi offers five additional wheels as options, four of which have a
21-inch diagonal. The four internally ventilated disc brakes measure 400
millimeters (15.75 in) in diameter up front and 365 millimeters (14.37 in) at
the rear. The matt black calipers up front bear S8 logos. Each of the optional
carbon fiber-ceramic discs saves over five kilograms (11 lb) of weight. Their
calipers are anthracite gray. The ESP stabilization program includes a sport
mode, in which engine output is determined solely by the position of the pedals.
Audi S8: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications