Following the lead of other car makers, Audi is bringing down the size of cylinders and capacity all in the name of cutting down emissions and with the help of forced induction, Audi is still able to improve the efficiency, power and fuel economy – well, at least this is what Audi claims they are doing.
Still dreaming of the the 5.2-liter V10-powered Audi S? Well, you can wake up from your slumber now.
Out with the V10, in with the bi-turbo V8. The new engine that will be powering the S7 is none other than the 4.0-liter V8 bi-turbo engine – which is coincidentally the same engine found in the Bentley – which a range of power levels.
The new engines will come with a cylinder-deactivation feature as well as stop-start to get closer the claimed engine efficiency and fuel economy and most importantly, to appease the environmentalists and lawmakers.
The new S6 and the S6 Avant will be powered a by V8 pumping 414bhp as well as 405lbft of torque. 0-60 is achieved in 4.6 seconds (slightly slower for the Avant, at 4.7 seconds) with a limited top speed of 155mph. Fuel economy and emissions figures are nothing like your hybrid cars but they still stand at 29.4mpg (29.1mpg for the Avant) and 226g/km of CO2 respectively. Prices start at £53,995 for the S6 and £56,050 for the new S6 Avant.
The new Audi S7 gets the same V8 power plant as found in the new S6 and the S6 Avant but it is however slightly slower with 4.7 seconds to hit 60mph. Fuel economy and emissions figures are about the same but it is about £8,000 more expensive than the S6 with its price tag of £61,995.
The top dog, Audi S8 gets the most powerful new generation V8 which outputs a mighty impressive 513bhp and 479lbft of torque. All this power is enough for the S8 to hit 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and despite being so fast and powerful; its fuel economy sits at 28mpg and only emits 235g/km of CO2. The S8 will sell for £77,900.
So where does the new generation V8 for the S8 stand in terms of performance compared to its predecessor? The previous V10 S8 – even with an extra cylinder – only managed to pump out 444bhp. Its fuel economy was worse at 21mpg and it polluted the environment quite badly, emitting 319g/km of CO2.
Even though these fuel economy and emissions figures look very good on paper, it does not necessarily mean the figures will hold true in real life situations. When you buy a V8 – or even an sports oriented Audi – you want to have fun in the car. When you go pedal to the metal frequently, would the emissions and fuel economy still be as claimed? But one thing is for sure, the experience will be exhilarating.
Why wait till May when these cars are officially launched and submit your online application for a car loan for bad credit today and one of our consultants will be back in touch within the house with a decision.
