Blurring the frosty German landscape at an indicated 270 kph (168 mph) in a 2007 Audi S8 proved an exercise in noise. Not road or wind noise, mind you, but rather a grating clatter courtesy of AC/DC and the S8's optional $7800, 1100-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, whose 14 aluminum-grille-covered speakers glitter the cabin.
Underhood, however, is where the real wattage lies. Borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo and tweaked just right, the S8's 5.2-liter V-10 engine is an aluminum jewel that weighs in at just 485 pounds--44 pounds less than the M5's V-10--yet produces 450 horses and 398 pound-feet. From Gallardo to S8, the V-10 has undergone myriad modifications, most notable a bump from 4961 to 5204 cc and the implementation of direct fuel injection. Power dips 63 ponies compared with the Lambo V-10, but torque rises 22 pound-feet. Other alterations include a higher compression ratio--12.5:1 compared with 11.0:1--and a less frenetic 7000-rpm redline, compared with the Lambo's 8100. Mated to a six-speed Tiptronic automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, the S8's V-10 matches the pony total of another Audi monster, the 6.0-liter W-12...
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