Classifieds' Car Of The Day: Barge-Tastic Audi S8

Want to go very fast in absolute comfort? Have a look at this Audi

18 May 2015

We figured we needed to have a proper 'luxo-barge' on Classifieds' Car Of The Day. The thing is though, if we were to go down the big luxury car route, we'd want some decent performance to go with the wafty comfort. That's why today's featured car is the Audi S8.

The first-generation 'D2' S8 came with a 4.2-litre V8 developing a healthy 360bhp. That's enough to haul this heavy Audi from 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds, and on to a top speed of 155mph. If you ask us, the S8 is pretty damn cool too.

The visual changes over the standard A8 are incredibly subtle, so no one will expect you to be packing the extra performance, and, of course, it was the star of Ronin - one of the best car chase films ever. It's just a shame that they got the engine sound a bit wrong...

Interested? Just be prepared to spend a fair bit on fuel, and servicing won't be that cheap. These things are crammed full of gadgets, so check that everything electrical works as it should. It's not unheard of for the auto gearbox to develop pricey problems too, so make sure the 'box of any S8 you go to see is in good working order.

This 1999 model is up for £3995. Sure, there are cheaper S8s out there, but this one has done 108,000 miles - which is reasonable considering the age. It's had only one owner from new, and has a full service history. As far as low-price, quick luxury barges go, this one takes some beating.