I love German super sedans from the late 00's. Specifically the D3 generation of the Audi S8. Powered by a 5.2-liter V10 (People often incorrectly state that the engine was Lamborghini derived. It wasn’t. The V10 was based on Audi’s 4.2-liter V8.) it made 450 horsepower. It was a $96,000 cruise missile. But the reliability and pricey upkeep have kept me away. Today, you can find them under $20k, albeit with high mileage. But one dent on that aluminum body will ruin you. That’s all on top of the pricey maintenance and repairs on a German V10. The 5.2 is prone to carbon build-up on the intake for instance that costs $1500 to $2000 just to clean.
We asked readers what cars were their forbidden fruit. Here were their answers.