Imran: What exactly are we doing with these three Audis? I mean, what sort of review is this? Fair enough, we have the S6, S7 and S8 \u2014 and although they\u2019re different, they\u2019re also the same because they\u2019ve all got the new 4.0-litre TFSI V8. Big whoop\u2026<\/p>\n
Sony: Yes, but they\u2019re all very different to drive and serve a different purpose. MyS8, for instance, is the ultimate limo for the businessman who is, er, always late for meetings and needs something really quick and luxurious to get him to where he needs to be.<\/p>\n
Dejan: The S7 looks the sharpest, because this is the only one where the designers were clearly motivated. The others look like elongated A4s… But they\u2019ve all got understated class, fabulous interiors and superb performance. What more do you want?<\/p>\n
Sony: I want more luxury, which is why I grabbed the keys to the S8. It\u2019s like driving around in a five-star hotel lobby. It even has an eight-speed automatic, while you both have to make do with those seven-speed S-tronic jobs. And I don\u2019t think it lacks in the looks department either, when compared to the S7, which is a glorified hatchback, and the S6 \u2014 a wannabe S8.<\/p>\n
Sony: Did you notice the difference in cornering performance, even though both cars feature Audi\u2019s Quattro all-wheel drive and a sport limited-slip differential?<\/p>\n
Dejan: No, I\u2019m not Markus Winkelhock. And even if there should\u2019ve been a dynamic difference, it\u2019s offset by the S7\u2019s wider girth (1.1in wider front track and 1.2in wider rear) and 2mm longer wheelbase. You\u2019d expect somewhat unique characteristics, but the S7 simply feels every bit as composed, secure and assured through the Fujairah hillsides where I drove the car, as the S6, both models exhibiting a slight tendency to understeer a bit earlier than I expected.<\/p>\n
Imran: That\u2019s because you drive like a loony. I\u2019ve got to say, the S6 doesn\u2019t half sound good; the V8 emits an ominous growl and it\u2019s really torquey; I don\u2019t have any complaints with 550Nm. This is the lightest of the three and is more of a driver\u2019s car. No, it isn\u2019t the wildest medium-sized saloon around, but it strikes a lovely balance between comfort and sporting aggression. And, I like the horizontal elements in the front air intakes, the deck lid spoiler and the four exhaust tips.<\/p>\n
Dejan: The weight loss pays off as the S6 is one tenth of a second quicker from 0-100kph than the S7, and every bit as luxurious, as well as every bit as unimaginative when it comes to Audi\u2019s school of design. The range should begin with the S7, then S6, then S8\u2026 Sometimes numbers do lie.<\/p>\n
Sony: So, I\u2019ve still got the range topper, which means I win! Imran: He\u2019s forgotten his meds again. This wasn\u2019t an analysis<\/a> remember? We wanted to see what the new engine felt like in these models. From the gist of it the S8 is too heavy and the S7 too refined \u2014 so I win!<\/p>\n Dejan: We all win, and that\u2019s simply because of the glorious new direct-injection, twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. –<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Imran: What exactly are we doing with these three Audis? I mean, what sort of review is this? Fair enough, we have the S6, S7 and S8 \u2014 and although they\u2019re different, they\u2019re also the same because they\u2019ve all got the new 4.0-litre TFSI V8. Big whoop\u2026 Sony: Yes, but they\u2019re all very different to …<\/p>\n