2001 Audi
Audi of America, Inc. 3800 Hamlin Road, Auburn Hills, Mich. 48326; www.audi.com
List Price: $72,500 Price as Tested: $80,675
Price as tested incl std equip. (ABS, front & head curtain airbags, side airbags for front & rear, all-wheel drive, Torsen center diff, yaw control, sport steering wheel w/Tiptronic control, anti-theft alarm, foglamps, AM/FM radio/cassette/CD, Bose sound system w/6 disc CD changer, 14-way power seats, leather interior, cruise control, remote keyless entry; pwr windows, mirrors & door locks), luxury Alcantara pkg (replaces leather upholstery) $3500, premium pkg (heated rear seats, expandable ski/storage sack, power rear-window sunshade, rear side-window sunshades) $700, gas-guzzler tax ($1700), luxury tax ($1700), dest charge ($575).

2001 BMW

BMW of North America, Inc. P Box 1227, Westwood, N.J. 07675; www.bmwusa.com.O.
List Price: $62,900 Price as Tested: $69,994
Price as tested incl std equip. (ABS, front & side airbags, yaw control, dynamic brake control, heated outside mirrors, nav system, anti-theft alarm, keyless entry & coded driveway protection, Premium 14-speaker AM/FM radio/cassette/CD changer; pwr windows, mirrors & door locks), sport pkg (sport suspension, M alloy wheels, performance tires, limited-slip diff, Steptronic suspension, sport seats, exterior trim, Vavona redwood interior trim, sport steering wheel) $2800, heated front seats ($500), gas-guzzler tax ($1700), luxury tax ($1524), dest charge ($570).

2001 Mercedes-Benz

S55 AMG
Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc. One Mercedes Drive, Montvale, N.J. 07645; www.mbusa.com
List Price: $98,000 Price as Tested: $105,355
Price as tested incl std equip. (ABS, front & side airbags, semi-active suspension, brake-assist system, yaw control, emergency calling & communications system, xenon headlamps, cruise control, auto. climate control, 10-speaker Bose premium audio system, keyless entry, anti-theft system, 14-way heated power seats, leather upholstery, multiifunction steering wheel, AM/FM radio/cassette/CD changer; pwr sunroof, windows, mirrors & door locks), climate-controlled rear compartment ($1840), parktronic system ($995), heated rear seats ($620), luxury tax ($3255), dest charge ($645).

Audi S8

Curb weight. Test weight. Weight dist (with driver), f/r, %. Wheelbase. Track, f/r. Length. Width. Height. 3815 lb 3990 lb 57/43 113.4 in. 62.6 in./62.6 in. 198.2 in. 79.0 in. 55.8 in.

BMW 740i

Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG
4110 lb 4270 lb 54/46 121.5 in. 62.0 in./61.8 in. 203.1 in. 73.1 in. 56.9 in.

General Data

4275 lb 4450 lb 53/47 115.4 in. 61.6 in./61.6 in. 196.2 in. 73.3 in. 56.3 in.

Chassis & Body

Layout. front engine/awd Body/frame. unit steel Brakes, f/r. 13.6-in. vented discs/ 11.0-in. vented discs; vacuum assist, ABS Wheels. cast alloy, 18 x 8J Tires. Dunlop SP Sport 8000, P245/45ZR-18 Steering. Overall ratio. Turns lock to lock. Suspension, f/r. rack & pinion, power assist 15.7:1 2.7 multilink, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar/trapezoidal link, lateral control arms & track rods, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar front engine/rear drive unit steel 12.8-in. vented discs/ 12.8-in. discs; vacuum assist, ABS cast alloy; 18 x 8J f, 18 x 912J r Michelin Pilot SX; P235/50ZR-18 f, P255/45ZR-18 r recirculating ball, power assist 16.9:1 3.7 MacPherson struts, double-pivot lower arms, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar/multilink, coil springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar front engine/rear drive unit steel 13.6-in. vented discs/ 12.4-in. vented discs; vacuum assist, ABS cast alloy; 18 x 812J f, 18 x 9J r Dunlop SP Sport 9000; P245/45R-18 f, P275/40R-18 r rack & pinion, power assist 17.8:1 2.8 upper & lower control arms, coil springs, tube shocks, semiactive suspension/multilink, coil springs, tube shocks, semiactive suspension

Accommodations

Seating capacity. Head room, f/r. Front-seat leg room. Rear-seat knee room. Trunk space. 5 36.5 in./36.0 in. 44.5 in. 26.0 in. 17.6 cu ft 5 37.5 in./36.0 in. 42.5 in. 26.0 in. 13.0 cu ft 5 37.0 in./36.5 in. 46.0 in. 28.3 in. 15.4 cu ft

ROAD & TRACK

Type. dohc 5-valve/cyl V-8 Displacement. 4172 cc Bore x stroke. 84.5 x 93.0 mm Compression ratio. 11.0:1 Horsepower (SAE). 360 bhp @ 7000 rpm Torque. 317 lb-ft @ 3400 rpm Redline. 7000 rpm Fuel injection. elect. sequential port Rec. fuel. prem. unleaded, 91 pump octane
sohc 3-valve/cyl V-cc 97.0 x 92.0 mm 10.5:bhp @ 5500 rpm 391 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm 6000 rpm elect. sequential port prem. unleaded, 91 pump octane

Engine

dohc 4-valve/cyl V-cc 92.0 x 82.7 mm 10.0:bhp @ 5400 rpm 324 lb-ft @ 3700 rpm 6000 rpm elect. sequential port prem. unleaded, 91 pump octane

Acceleration

Time to speed, sec 020 mph. 1.mph. 3.mph. 6.mph. 9.mph. 14.7 Time to distance 01320 ft (14 mile). 14.5 @ 99.2 mph 1.1 3.1 6.1 10.4 16.5 14.6 @ 94.7 mph 1.4 3.2 5.7 9.0 13.4 14.1 @ 102.7 mph

Braking

Minimum stopping distance From 60 mph. 122 ft From 80 mph. 217 ft Control. excellent Brake feel. very good Overall brake rating. excellent Lateral accel (200-ft skidpad): 0.87g Balance. moderate understeer Speed thru 700-ft slalom:. 62.3 mph Balance. moderate understeer 125 ft 224 ft excellent very good very good 121 ft 215 ft excellent very good excellent 0.89g mild understeer 62.8 mph mild understeer

Handling

0.88g mild understeer 62.4 mph mild understeer

Drivetrain

Transmission. 5-speed automatic Gear/Ratio/Overall/(Rpm) Mph 1st, :1. 3.57/13.32/(7000) 37 2nd, :1. 2.20/8.21/(7000) 60 3rd, :1. 1.50/5.61/(7000) 88 4th, :1. 1.00/3.73/(7000) 132 5th, :1. 0.80/2.84/est (6600) 155* Final drive ratio. 3.73:1 Engine rpm @ 60 mph in top gear 2400 rpm *Electronically limited. 5-speed automatic 3.57/11.25/(5750) 38 2.20/6.93/(6000) 64 1.51/4.76/(6000) 93 1.00/3.15/(6000) 141 0.80/2.52/est (5300) 155* 3.15:rpm 5-speed automatic 3.59/10.12/(5900) 44 2.19/6.17/(6000) 74 1.41/3.98/(6000) 115 1.00/2.82/ est (5750) 155* 0.83/2.34/est (4750) 155* 2.82:rpm

Fuel Economy

Our driving. 15.3 mpg EPA city/highway. 15/21 mpg Fuel capacity. 23.8 gal. 16.3 mpg 15/21 mpg 22.5 gal. 15.0 mpg 16/22 mpg 23.2 gal.

Interior Noise

Idle in neutral. 48 dBA Maximum, 1st gear. 71 dBA 70 mph. 70 dBA 44 dBA 70 dBA 68 dBA 45 dBA 68 dBA 68 dBA
Subjective ratings consist of excellent, very good, good, average, poor; na means information is not available.
one-armed push-ups at the Academy Awards. Even without the S8s performance bits, the A8 is a pretty intriguing machine, with its aluminum space frame as the technological centerpiece. Codeveloped with Alcoa, its an assemblage of both straight and curved extrusions joined by thin-wall die-cast junction boxes, to which exterior panels stamped from alloy sheets are attached. Its longitudinally mounted engine drives all four wheels through a Quattro IV system whose Torsen center differential apportions torque to electronically lockable front and rear differentials. Its side glass (actually, each pane is two pieces laminated together with a solarreflective film in between) anchors to the B-pillar with a pin, allowing a nearush t and helping to achieve a commendably low CD of 0.29. But the S8 is nicer, by precisely 50 bhpits ywheel now sees a full 360 bhp at 7000 rpm. Although its 4172-cc displacement and 11.0:1 compression ratio remain the same, the V-8s intake paths have been optimized; a new 3stage variable manifold is employed; and new roller-tipped followers ride on more aggressive camshaft lobes that help move more air into and out of the cylinders. A less restrictive exhaust system that terminates in a dual polished tip completes the changes that also see peak torque improve to 317 lb.-ft. at 3400 rpm, an increase of 15 lb.-ft. at only 100 more revs. A scan of the nearby data panel will show that this Neckarsulm, Germanybuilt sedan is downright rapid: 6.1 seconds to 60; the quarter mile in 14.5 sec. at 99.2 mph. The S8 is a few blinks quicker than the BMW and a few more blinks slower than the Mercedes, yet all three are near the top of the performance-car food chain. Consider that this roomy, 5-passenger, 2ton sedan with all the luxury trimmings will pace a standard Porsche Boxster to 60 mph and beat it to the century mark by two full seconds. No doubt, that same Boxster would show its pop-up rear spoiler to the Audi when tight bends start outnumbering straightaways, yet Id bet the S8 wouldnt lag far behind. Ample 245/45ZR-18 Dunlops on those 18 x 8-in. wheels put the power down (at all four corners, remember), and mammoth Brembo 4-piston fixed front calipers clamp on equally stout 13.6-in. vented rotors for inspiring, repeatable stopping power. The S8 simply feels solid and all of a piece, a good deal of that coming from the structure, and some from 30-percent-stiffer