Audi S8- Road Test

Price: £70,925
On sale: Now
0-60mph: 5.1 seconds; top speed 155mph
Average fuel: 19.3mpg
Standard equipment: Valcona leather trim, quattro four-wheel drive, 20-inch alloys, power front seats, bi-functional headlight with gas discharge lamps, turn signal light and LED daytime running light for driving on the left with headlight washer system, six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddles, parking camera, six-CD autochanger stereo with 230watt BOSE surround sound system.

Tiscali verdict: 8/10 refined, fast luxury saloon with an engine last seen in a Lamborghini.

It's hard to justify why Audi has built the latest S8. One of the latest crop of Lamborghini-powered Audi's, the S8 will do nothing for the German company's green credentials with official fuel consumption little over 20mpg and it pumps out 320 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilometre travelled. If your keen on cutting you carbon footprint, this might not be the car for you. Realistically, the £70,625 price will beyond the reach of most people and I'm sure that green credentials will not figure highly in the purchase. No longer the ultimate expression of Vorsprung durch Technic, that's reserved for the Audi R8 supercar. But can the S8 offer more than the more expensive Maserati Quattroporte? After a long weekend, at the wheel I have my answer.

Can't quite stretch to a new S8? Check out our used Audi A8/S8 guide

The S8 is the fastest version of Audi's aluminium-bodied, Maserati Quattroporte rival. Styling-wise, apart from the racy 'S' add-ons, the bodywork looks little changed from the standard A8. From the front, the S8 looks suitably sporty, yet still follows the Audi family look. Worthy of particular mention is the big, aggressive grille with vertical and horizontal bars. Other design highlights from the front include the S8's bi-functional headlights with daytime running lights - yes, they're as bright as they seem at night. At the back, there are rear lights with LED technology but it's the quad exhausts at the back that hint at the S8's power. The rest of the design feels subtly special, with the huge 20-inch alloy wheels and two discreet V10 badges on the front wings.