Audi S8
Audi S8
The Audi S8 is the supreme athlete in the luxury class: With its combination of ten-cylinder FSI power, permanent – and here particularly sporty – quattro four-wheel drive and Audi Space Frame, the Audi S8 occupies a unique position within its competitive field of high-performance saloons. The outstanding potential of the ten-cylinder powerpack finds its counterpart in the dynamically tuned sports suspension, high-performance brake system and sporty yet elegant design
Sports appeal is firmly anchored in the genetic code of the Audi brand. In the case of the S models, however, sportiness is a declared principle, combined with comfort, aesthetics, elegance and uncompromising quality. The Audi S8 with its 5.2-litre V10 FSI engine combines all of these strengths to produce passion and superiority. The V10 of undersquare configuration utilises the expertise of the Lamborghini Gallardo super sports car, but has been reengineered in essential areas.
A ten-cylinder engine is the ideal design for realising sporting aspirations. Although an eight-cylinder engine would be even more compact, to make it into the five-litre class it would need large, heavy pistons and connecting rods, so its ability to rev freely would be impaired as a result. It is no coincidence that competitors have generally concentrated simply on high torque with their large-capacity V8 engines, rather than attempting to squeeze sporty performance out of them too.
source:topspeed.com
