Audi S6, S7 and S8 revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut

13 years, 3 months ago - 1 September 2011

When Audi introduces a new S model, enthusiasts sit up straight and listen. Don't even ask what happens when the German automaker rolls out two at a time, let alone three or four. But that's what Ingolstadt has in store for us in Frankfurt this year.

Once the show opens in a couple of weeks from now, we'll have a new S6 (both sedan and Avant wagon), S7and S8 on our hands. And they're looking pretty sweet so far.

At the top of the heap is the new S8 sedan, which adopts the new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that Audi has developed with Bentley, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. With 512 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque on tap, the big sedan is said to be good for a hugely fast 4.2-second sprint to 100 km/h and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The S6 and S7, meanwhile, get a detuned version of the same turbo eight with 420 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, good for 4.8 and 4.9-second acceleration runs, respectively. Cylinder deactivation and an active noise cancelation system are also part of the package on the entire range.