The newest iteration of the Audi S8 is finally here, and while it looks like just another Audi on the outside, it’s packing the expected power underneath its hood. It has 563 horsepower, to be exact, coming from a bi-turbocharged V8 with a mild-hybrid system—you know, for fuel efficiency.
Audi UK announced the new S8 on Tuesday, saying the first deliveries will come late this year and that orders will be “exclusively in standard wheelbase form” when they open in the UK. The Audi U.S. branch hasn’t announced anything yet, but reports are that only the long-wheelbase version will come to America.
The S8’s nearly 600-HP V8 will make a rated 590 lb-ft of torque, and the car will have active noise cancellation to block out “sound intrusion that is less desirable” so buyers can hear their thoughts, their engine and no more. It has a mild-hybrid system just like the regular version of the car, the A8, along with a cylinder-deactivation feature for those buyers who dread the gas pump.
The S8 also looks a lot like the A8 from the outside, as expected, but with a few tweaks and four exhaust tips. If anything, humble-badging it won’t be hard.
Audi said the all-wheel-drive, all-wheel-steering S8 will also get a suspension system that adjusts to the road and predicts adjustments with a front camera that works to detect “larger road surface irregularities.” That’s in addition to five driving modes, and the option for carbon-ceramic brakes to save weight.
In terms of safety-related technology, Audi said the new S8 will come with five radar sensors, six cameras, 12 ultrasound sensors and a laser scanner when “fully equipped.” That means repair costs will be high, but so will the yet-to-be-announced price of the car.
But it also means the S8 will get tons of safety and driver-assistance features, like adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, and Audi’s suspension system that raises the body of the vehicle to help protect passengers if it senses an oncoming side impact. Oh, and massaging seats are available, because luxury cars aren’t luxury cars if they can’t rub your back while you drive.
And, really, is anything better than stomping a gas pedal with 563 HP behind it after a long day while your seat works on those stress knots in your shoulders? Probably not.