Audi S8 D4 Test drive since 2012 sedan

The riddles of the gods

Vasiliev’s solving
Why formula 1 leather sofa? Why leather sofa Formula 1 motor? Rolls-Royce shrugs perplexedly, Ferrari beats in hysteria. And we take the magicians from motorsport Lesha Vasiliev, enter it into a hypnotic trance at the Tushino airfield and begin to find out what the gods wanted to say with these machines.
What is there
Audi S8
Price from $ 152 400
Max. Power 450 hp at 7000 vol./min
Max. torque 540 nm at 3500 rpm/min
Max. speed 250 km/h*
Acceleration 0100 km/h 5.1 s
 
Jaguar xjr
Price from $ 133 440
Max. Power 395 hp at 6100 vol./min
Max. torque 541 nm at 3500 rpm/min
Max. speed 250 km/h*
Acceleration 0100 km/h 5.3 s
 
Maserati Quattroporte
Price from 153 300
Max. Power 400 hp at 6100 vol./min
Max. torque 460 nm at 4250 rpm/min
Max. speed 270 km/h*
Acceleration 0100 km/h 5.6 s
HOW DO THEY LOOK
Nikita Rozanov
 
Audi S8
The first show 2005, the new model 2007. Design under the leadership of Walter de Silva.
Jaguar xjr
The first show of 2006, the design under the leadership of Yana Callum (Ian Callum)
Maserati Quattroporte
The first show of 2003, modifications of 2006, design under the leadership of Lorenzo Ramaciotti (Lorenzo Ramaciotti) Pininfarina.
The next action when creating an even more heated version of the sedan will be dismantling the rear seats (for a special fee!)
 
OUTSIDE
Well, let's say, with hot hatchbacks, everything is clear: forced motor, large in size of the wheel, plastic finish for carbon and ... forward from the traffic light, to the orange zone on the tachometer! The sportingly oriented premium sedans are a completely different quality of life and style. Probably, the next step in creating their even more heated versions will be ... dismantling the rear passenger seats for a special fee sort of super -exclusive for superlocons. But, as you know, you can’t forbid to live beautifully on this and the creators of the design and style of such cars are pressed. There are few of them and such a press is effective. After all, a genuine and bright sports biography of the brand is needed, and I will not be afraid of this word glory. Plastic for carbon is not about. Glory is enough and Audi, and Jaguar, and Maserati. All of them are long and permanent rivals on the tracks of such Le Manu. Therefore, in their meeting in our test there is nothing unusual and attracted by the ears. That's life.
 
The recognition from the face of the entire three is impeccable and confusing the head of the headlight of Quattroporte and Jaguar as impossible as, for example, numbers 1 and 99 on white circles of starting numbers. Moreover, even if the headlights are not burning, then the branded and uncountable many times glorified grilles of radiators burn and shine, each of which is inconspicuous in the office above the fireplace. And the emblems?! Can anyone indifferent the Maserati trident, Audi rings and, of course, a silver monument to a wild cat on a Jaguar hood? The only problem in owning these treasures ensuring their safety after night parking on the street. But this is nonsense! See how expressive silhouettes are! How the profile S8 is rapid, how the classic Italian coupe Maserati is reminiscent, how defiantly the Jaguar is three -hubs with silver gills on the front wing. Here the wheel design is not an addition to the image, here their design is almost the basis of the visual perception of the entire car behind. It seems that here even functionality recedes before beauty. Freedom in everything in the proportions and in the forms of rear lighting, which is set to one level with a proprietary sign. And how else, because these cars are called only to overtake.
INSIDE
Here everything is subordinated to the national roots. The German car is verified and strict, English is traditional, and Italian is sensual. This is manifested in everything: in the architecture of the instrument panel, in the selection and color factory combinations of finishing materials, and even in the number of spokes on the steering wheel. All except the S8 preferred the classics in the decoration: light bottom dark top. Naturally, Jaguar is the only one who used the historical reception of the instrument board with the circle of arrow indicators into the array. It is appropriate here. The shape and style of the seats, without exception, are self -sufficient, which allows them to fulfill the batch of solo the inhabited space of the car in each of these beautiful ensembles.
SUMMARY
This is one of those not frequent cases when you should listen to emotions, because you have money, and indeed, life has succeeded!
 
1 PLACE
Audi S8
 
PROS
Great quality of materials
High assembly quality
Great motor and gearbox
Good smoothness and handling
Big trunk
Maximum all -conquest of application
 
MINUSES
 
Too hidden charisma
 
2ND PLACE
Jaguar xjr
 
PROS
Icon -like design
The best accelerated dynamics
Fantastic thrust at low speeds
The most comfortable rear seat
 
MINUSES
Unnecessary savings in the little things
Incomplete and small trunk
Not perfect handling
 
3RD PLACE
Maserati Quattroporte
 
PROS
Diz-Z-Zayn!
Ideal handling on the perfect road
Great back seat
Excellent image
 
MINUSES
Missing trunk
Nuances with assembly quality
Weak adaptability to Russian conditions

Oh, the great magician Don Alexei Vasiliev! Only you, putting on your refractory shamanistic suit, lowering it, raised your hand in a glove to the sky, you can tell simple mortals, why the gods create such cars. Why are five-meter sedans 400-horsepower engines and 20-inch wheels? Why accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in five seconds and risk the 150,000th condition?
You fell into another world with them. The world of long seconds in lateral sliding. The world of bizarre trajectories, of which only one is true. A world that can be seen on a small oka, the main thing is to be a person of knowledge. Answer, teacher: Why formula 1 leather sofa? And why a leather sofa Formula 1 motor?
Pressed above us. Give an answer...
Don Vasiliev is silent, says nothing.
He laughed only and went away.
I grieved for a long time after this test.
The gods gave a riddle, Vasiliev did not give an answer.
But suddenly it became clear to me.
Absolute weapon!
Maximum power!
But the racing steam locomotive of the Comfort Class is a sign of force in the square.
Owners of oil towers are not cool when they are overtaken by a young man on Lotus or a novice racer on a BMW. After all, they are used to commanding and used to being the strongest.
In everything. Is always. Everywhere.
For this, these cars are created. Remember their names: Audi S8, Jaguar XJR and Maserati Quattroporte.
 
Text Dmitry Novitsky photo Ivan Semenov
 

Source: Cars