The 2020 Audi S8 was spied testing at the
Nurburgring again, attacking those apexes with enough guts to make bystanders
wonder what lies beneath its hood. We might already know the answer
to this question, though: a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 shared with the Porsche
Panamera Turbo, where it makes 550 PS, although it might be
slightly de-tuned for the Audi.
Previous reports claimed that the mill should be
good for around 530 PS. Combined with a weight loss of
approximately 100 kg compared to its predecessor, the 2020 S8 should
accelerate to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds and do nearly 300 km/h a flat out with the electronic limiter removed.
There may be no ‘S’ badges adorning the bidyworj of
this production-ready prototype, but the final version of the car will get some
in the grille and on the boot lid. Also it will probably get a slightly more
aggressive front bumper, although the rear bumper design, along with the quad
exhaust pipes, should be maintained.
We still don’t know exactly when the 2020 Audi S8
will be launched. Nevertheless, one possibility is the upcoming Geneva Motor
Show in March. Following it into production could be an S8 Plus derivative, believed
to be packing the powertrain of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, reportedly
downgraded to 630 PS.
