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 — and although they’re different, they’re also the same because they’ve all got the new 4.0-litre TFSI V8. Big whoop…
Sony: Yes, but they’re 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.
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’ve all got understated class, fabulous interiors and superb performance. What more do you want?
Sony: I want more luxury, which is why I grabbed the keys to the S8. It’s 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’t think it lacks in the looks department either, when compared to the S7, which is a glorified hatchback, and the S6 — a wannabe S8.
Sony: Did you notice the difference in cornering performance, even though both cars feature Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive and a sport limited-slip differential?
Dejan: No, I’m not Markus Winkelhock. And even if there should’ve been a dynamic difference, it’s offset by the S7’s wider girth (1.1in wider front track and 1.2in wider rear) and 2mm longer wheelbase. You’d 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.
Imran: That’s because you drive like a loony. I’ve got to say, the S6 doesn’t half sound good; the V8 emits an ominous growl and it’s really torquey; I don’t have any complaints with 550Nm. This is the lightest of the three and is more of a driver’s car. No, it isn’t 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.
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’s school of design. The range should begin with the S7, then S6, then S8… Sometimes numbers do lie.
Sony: So, I’ve still got the range topper, which means I win! Imran: He’s forgotten his meds again. This wasn’t an analysis 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 — so I win!
Dejan: We all win, and that’s simply because of the glorious new direct-injection, twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. –
