Motor Trend: 2013 Audi S8: 0-60 3.5 s / 11.8 s 1/4 mile

[giant_mtb]

I don't know why you are getting so emotional about this.   I just wouldn't feel very confident driving such a big heavy car with so much power.

That is not what you said.  You said a Mustang would be able to corner and brake better.  I proved you wrong and you switched to "oh, I just meant, like, as far as feeeeelings go."

I'm not emotional.  I'm spitting out facts.  You're the one trying to be all Feelings McGee about it.

[SVT666]

A Mustang WILL stop and corner better.   

[Eye of the Tiger]

A Mustang WILL stop and corner better.   

I dunno, it still has that truck axle in back, and I hear the brakes are a weak point...

[Cookie Monster]

A Mustang WILL stop and corner better.   

Not by enough that it should make you "scared" to drive an S8.

[giant_mtb]

A Mustang WILL stop and corner better.   

Minimally.  In a controlled test.  They might as well be equal on the street.  All your whining about the S8's weight is baseless. 

[hotrodalex]

I'll take anything that can do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

[S204STi]

I like cars with gobs of power and everyone here knows that.  I just have a hard time understanding the usefullness in a car this big.

Step 1: Put your family in it.

Step 2: Haul ass.

[Laconian]

Step 1. Haul ass to work
Step 2. Haul ass from work
Step 3. Put your classy family in it, go out for dinner and opera
Step 4. Go home
Step 5. Screw your supermodel wife
Step 6. Sleep

repeat


Honestly, there is almost no point to any car that can go this fast, regardless how big and small it is. Going  that fast is highly highly illegal and dangerous to one's license.

[S204STi]

But really tucking cool.

[GoCougs]

So where exactly did this Mustang thing come about???

This S8 will own a Mustang on the street; more usable, more "stable," whatever. From a roll looks like the GT500 will best it but if it's wet, bumpy, or IOW real world, the S8 will own it.

As to brakes, the reason why the ZL1 won some of the comparisons is literally after one hot lap the GT500 brakes faded and in a few more laps just about failed (ZL1 had zero fade).

[Cookie Monster]

Did people complain about the Mustang having too much power for the chassis to handle effectively? My bet is that even with (slightly) lower limits, the S8 would still be easier to drive and easier to push closer to the limits, and once you pass its limits, I bet the Audi would be more predictable/safer in the way it lost traction.

[cawimmer430]

Mustang vs Audi S8...? 

[Raza]

Step 1. Haul ass to work
Step 2. Haul ass from work
Step 3. Put your classy family in it, go out for dinner and opera
Step 4. Go home
Step 5. Screw your supermodel wife
Step 6. Sleep

repeat


Honestly, there is almost no point to any car that can go this fast, regardless how big and small it is. Going  that fast is highly highly illegal and dangerous to one's license.

Reality:

Step 1:  Drive slowly to work.
Step 2:  Drive slowly home.
Step 3:  Masturbate while your wife watches Dancing with the Stars.

[Eye of the Tiger]

[S204STi]

[sportyaccordy]

I am with SVT on this one. If I have money for an S8 I have money for an actual sports car and another luxury sedan. Given those choices, who would ever reach for the luxury sedan for thrills? In which case, why pay for the extra capability? Its not like the base A8 is slow. I'd rather take that extra 30K and go from a Carrera to a GT3. And don't tell me "if you have S8 money you can get a GT3".... cause its those very same folks who argued someone who can afford a 100K car still appreciates value + has a budget. I would not blow my whole load on this land yacht.Thats just my opinion though

[sportyaccordy]

So where exactly did this Mustang thing come about???

This S8 will own a Mustang on the street; more usable, more "stable," whatever. From a roll looks like the GT500 will best it but if it's wet, bumpy, or IOW real world, the S8 will own it.

As to brakes, the reason why the ZL1 won some of the comparisons is literally after one hot lap the GT500 brakes faded and in a few more laps just about failed (ZL1 had zero fade).

Mustang traps 7MPH higher. This thing's performance is all launch, from a roll it would get slaughtered

Lets be realistic, nobody is buying these to chase cars through the canyons or do track days. Honestly, not too many people are buying GT500s for that either. Stoplight to stoplight this will own. Highway GT500 will own. Cars for whom straightline performance is the main source of driving thrills are boring.

[sportyaccordy]

Did people complain about the Mustang having too much power for the chassis to handle effectively? My bet is that even with (slightly) lower limits, the S8 would still be easier to drive and easier to push closer to the limits, and once you pass its limits, I bet the Audi would be more predictable/safer in the way it lost traction.

This thing is as big as a Wimmer fetish Cadillac and costs as much as a house. Who is buying these to "push them to their limits"?

[SVT666]

Mustang traps 7MPH higher. This thing's performance is all launch, from a roll it would get slaughtered

Lets be realistic, nobody is buying these to chase cars through the canyons or do track days. Honestly, not too many people are buying GT500s for that either. Stoplight to stoplight this will own. Highway GT500 will own. Cars for whom straightline performance is the main source of driving thrills are boring.

Bullshit.  I've driven lots of straight line cars and they are a lot more fun in every day driving than a corner carver is.  Combining the two is ideal, but if I had to chose one or the other to live with every single day, I would chose the straight line machine because power can be used a lot more than cornering abilities on an every day basis.  But like I said, I would rather have a machine with both qualities.

[sportyaccordy]

I've driven fun 15 second cars and boring 13 second cars. At the end of the day its about what works. Faster is not always better.

[MrH]

Tons of people don't like having two cars.  They'd rather just have one, practical car that's also fun and fast.

[Raza]

I am with SVT on this one. If I have money for an S8 I have money for an actual sports car and another luxury sedan. Given those choices, who would ever reach for the luxury sedan for thrills? In which case, why pay for the extra capability? Its not like the base A8 is slow. I'd rather take that extra 30K and go from a Carrera to a GT3. And don't tell me "if you have S8 money you can get a GT3".... cause its those very same folks who argued someone who can afford a 100K car still appreciates value + has a budget. I would not blow my whole load on this land yacht.Thats just my opinion though

Cars sell on spec sheets.  Think about who will buy these cars.  They'll never see full throttle.  It does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds so they can say it does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

[GoCougs]

Mustang traps 7MPH higher. This thing's performance is all launch, from a roll it would get slaughtered

Lets be realistic, nobody is buying these to chase cars through the canyons or do track days. Honestly, not too many people are buying GT500s for that either. Stoplight to stoplight this will own. Highway GT500 will own. Cars for whom straightline performance is the main source of driving thrills are boring.

Like I already said, add some real world conditions - wet roads, bumpy surfaces, and from a roll the S8 will hang if not walk.

[SVT666]

Like I already said, add some real world conditions - wet roads, bumpy surfaces, and from a roll the S8 will hang if not walk.

In other words, "Add some NW conditions".

[sportyaccordy]

Tons of people don't like having two cars.  They'd rather just have one, practical car that's also fun and fast.

I doubt it. I know folks w/A8s, they had other cars even when they werent enthusiasts. Would you buy this as your only car?

Like I already said, add some real world conditions - wet roads, bumpy surfaces, and from a roll the S8 will hang if not walk.

Who is racing expensive cars on bumpy wet roads?

People always say "omg AWD lets you really put the power down in the wet". Who is thrashing their $120K luxury sedans in the wet

[Colonel Cadillac]

I doubt it. I know folks w/A8s, they had other cars even when they werent enthusiasts. Would you buy this as your only car?
Who is racing expensive cars on bumpy wet roads?

People always say "omg AWD lets you really put the power down in the wet". Who is thrashing their $120K luxury sedans in the wet

I would if I had one

[MrH]

I doubt it. I know folks w/A8s, they had other cars even when they werent enthusiasts. Would you buy this as your only car?
Who is racing expensive cars on bumpy wet roads?

People always say "omg AWD lets you really put the power down in the wet". Who is thrashing their $120K luxury sedans in the wet

I'm a 24 year old that drives a BRZ.  I'm pretty damn far from the intended market for this car...

[MrH]

I would if I had one

+1

[Raza]

I would if I had one

+1

Yeah, but....

I'm a 24 year old that drives a BRZ.  I'm pretty damn far from the intended market for this car...

You guys wouldn't have one.  When I drive my mother's CLS, I drive the hell out of it, but she doesn't.  That car is insanely fast and handles very well for its size, and you're talking about a car that is a full second slower to 60 than this car.  The people who will buy this will drive it the same way your grandmother drives her old Buick Century, except they'll be drinking coffee and using a Bluetooth headset.

[MrH]

That doesn't mean I won't drive the same when I'm a rich FOG...