Tuned Audi S8 Plus Hits the Autobahn for Some Testing

Tuned Audi S8 Plus Autobahn

The already potent Audi S8 Plus gets even more so with a simple upgrade and the flip of a switch.

A few years ago, the Audi S8 Plus debuted for those that didn’t think that the regular S8‘s 520 horsepower output was quite enough, upping that ante to a cool 605 raging ponies. The Plus model also received some chassis enhancements with a stiffer suspension and bigger brakes to make the best of that extra power, along with unique interior and exterior treatments, but let’s be honest – the main draw here is the car’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, which in stock form, can propel the sedan from 0-60 in just 3.3 seconds. However, as we can see in this video from AutoTopNL, a tune can also unleash even more power from this already potent offering.

Recently, the crew behind this particular YouTube channel – which routinely tests different vehicles’ top speeds on Germany’s Autobahn – installed a RaceChip in their Audi S8 Plus, and were quite pleased with the results of that upgrade. Soon, a viewer reached out to see if they could install the same part in his own car and do some testing, and who wouldn’t agree to something like that, honestly?

Tuned Audi S8 Plus Autobahn

For this particular scientific experiment, AutoTopNL started out with the car in stock form to get a baseline, while also discussing the gains that the RaceChip adds to the mix – around 95 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. In terms of acceleration, the stock Audi S8 Plus accelerated from 100 kilometers per hour to 200 – or 62-124 miles-per-hour – in eight seconds flat, while the tune slashes that number to just 7.27 seconds.

That number places the tuned Audi S8 Plus just behind the Porsche Cayenne Turbo with PP Performance upgrades and in front of vehicles like the Lamborghini Urus from Mansory, the Nissan GT-R Nismo, BMW M3 Competition, and Audi e-tron GT, to name just a few – impressive company, indeed. On a corresponding top speed run, the team manages to get the car up to 198 mph – higher than the stock car’s governed limit of around 190 mph, too.

The beauty of this particular combination is that the tuned S8 Plus isn’t just absurdly quick, but it’s also quite comfortable to cruise around in, plus, the tune can be turned on and off with the push of a button, in the event that one wants to do so. Truthfully, it’s hard to imagine a better daily driver, one that’s equal parts civilized and capable of outrunning even some exotic machinery when called upon.

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Audi R8 With Gated Manual Hits the Autobahn for Top Speed Run

Audi R8 Autobahn

Listen to the sweet sounds of this N/A V8-powered Audi R8 and the satisfying clicks of its gated manual before they’re gone.

The Audi R8 is a special and arguably underrated machine, a more reasonable Lamborghini for those that don’t care for audacious styling or simply being stared at everywhere they go. At the same time, the R8 serves up the same exciting driving experience as its more exotic brethren, making it the perfect everyman’s supercar. To us, there’s nothing better than listening to a car like this sing its siren song, and that’s precisely what we’re treated to in this new video from AutoTopNL.

As is typically the case with videos from this YouTube channel, the Audi R8 featured here heads out to Germany’s famous Autobahn for a bit of a top speed rip, or at least as fast as its driver can go in a safe manner. Unfortunately, this example isn’t a V10 model, but it is a V8 with a gated manual, which is a combination that has essentially gone extinct in the last few years, so we’ll certainly allow it.

Audi R8 Autobahn

Driving all four wheels, the car’s naturally-aspirated V8 churns out 424 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque in this guise, and it sounds simply amazing revving to 8,000 rpm, even if it isn’t exactly the quickest thing on the roads today. It winds up hitting 263 kilometers per hour – or around 163 mph – without breaking a sweat, but perhaps more importantly, it sounds awesome doing so.

Sadly, these types of experiences won’t be around much longer, as the Audi R8 is destined to leave this world – at least temporarily – with the GT RWD limited-edition serving as its last gasp. If the R8 does return one day, it will do so as an EV – like all Audi models – which is something of a shame for those of us that adore N/A V8 and V10 engines, not to mention gated manual transmissions, or row-your-own gearboxes of any kind. However, there are still some fine machines out there such as this one that can still provide us with simple driving pleasure, at least for now.

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