Audi S8 manufacturing is about to finish quickly, and with no clear successor in sight, now could be the proper time to understand the luxurious sedan.
With luxury sedans, on the whole, persevering with to fall far behind crossovers and SUVs by way of recognition and gross sales, we’re additionally seeing fairly just a few beloved fashions face unsure futures – or outright discontinuation. That features the Audi S8, a high-performance version of the A8 sedan that has lengthy been a favourite amongst lovers searching for one thing good-looking, massive, luxurious, and in addition rewarding to drive.
As we recently reported, manufacturing of the current-generation Audi A8 is slated to finish in late 2026, however there aren’t any concrete plans as to what is going to substitute it. Beforehand, Audi deliberate on utilizing the identical platform destined for Porsche’s K1, a three-row flagship crossover that was initially deliberate to launch as an EV-only mannequin in 2027. Now, nonetheless, these plans have modified, and the K1 will as an alternative arrive sooner or later within the 2030s with ICE and PHEV powertrain choices.
Thus, Audi is trying to find a brand new structure to underpin the next-generation A8, which may make the most of a conventional ICE powertrain, marking an enormous shift from earlier plans to go all-electric. With a refresh for the present S8 being dominated out solely, it might be years earlier than the sedan returns for a brand new technology – if in any respect – and it wouldn’t be shocking to see these plans thrown out the window, until people begin gravitating towards sedans once more.
Within the meantime, this video from the YouTube channel Auditography offers us with a somber tribute to the 2025 Audi S8, which takes place with a surprising drive on our host’s favourite stretch of street – the Kaunertal Glacier in Austria. Alongside the best way, our host reminisces concerning the S8, on the whole, which debuted again in 1996 and has existed by the course of 4 generations so far.
The Audi S8 has gone on to carve out a distinct segment within the full-size luxurious sedan market, showing in a number of Hollywood hit films, and although the present D5.5 mannequin is a bit lengthy within the tooth – having been round for round eight years now – it’s nonetheless fairly a deal with. The massive sedan actually appears to be like good-looking, has an exquisite inside, and scoots down the street briefly order because of its twin turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 pumping out 563 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque.
Extra importantly, as our host factors out, as we speak’s trendy Audis have turn into arguably too related, shedding a little bit of their conventional sporty really feel lately. Many have criticized the route the model has taken by way of high quality and design, making the S8 one of many final “correct” Audi fashions. It will not be fairly as beloved because the D4 S8, but it surely handles and drives amazingly effectively – making its pending departure an much more somber event.
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