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Audi S8
TheNewsWheel says that after 30 years and four generations, Audi is pulling the plug on its A8 flagship sedan, with the performance S8 variant riding along, and that Audi closed the A8's order books in Germany, a move expected to eventually extend to markets worldwide, according to Motor1, with no successor planned. It notes that with the launch of the current D5 generation in 2017, Audi made the A8 the first car to officially offer Level 3 autonomous driving features and deploy LIDAR technology within its driver assistance systems. Car and Driver says the S8 is covered by a four-year/50,000-mile warranty and comes standard with a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster, a 10.1-inch upper infotainment screen and an 8.6-inch lower display. Audi Car Market says the 2025 A8 starts at $109,050 for the 55 TFSI quattro Tiptronic trim.
The flagship's end
TheNewsWheel (opens in a new tab) says that after 30 years and four generations, Audi has pulled the plug on its A8/S8 flagship sedan with no successor in sight, and that Audi closed the A8's order books in Germany, a move expected to eventually extend to markets worldwide, according to Motor1.
A technology pioneer
TheNewsWheel (opens in a new tab) says that with the launch of the current D5 generation in 2017, Audi went further still, making the A8 the first car to officially offer Level 3 autonomous driving features and deploy LIDAR technology within its driver assistance systems.
Standard features and price
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the S8 is covered by a four-year/50,000-mile warranty policy, like its Audi stablemates, and comes standard with a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit digital gauge cluster, a 10.1-inch upper infotainment screen and an 8.6-inch lower display. Audi Car Market (opens in a new tab) says the 2025 Audi A8 starts at $109,050 for the 55 TFSI quattro Tiptronic trim.
Questions buyers ask
Is the Audi S8 discontinued?
TheNewsWheel (opens in a new tab) says Audi closed the A8/S8's order books in Germany with no successor planned.
Was the Audi A8 the first car with Level 3 autonomy?
TheNewsWheel (opens in a new tab) says yes, with the current D5 generation launched in 2017.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2027 Audi S8 is built around 4.0L twin-turbo V8, rated at 563 horsepower across its full-size performance sedan body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2027 U.S. lineup has 1 trim.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2027 S8 seats 5 and is a Full-size performance sedan.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings for the 2027 S8.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2027 Audi S8
The S8 is sold in a single long-wheelbase configuration with a 563-horsepower twin-turbo V8: customization is through options, not a trim ladder.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
5 indexed Audi S8 model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Audi S8 | 2027 record → | |
| 2026 Audi S8 | 2026 record → | |
| 2025 Audi S8 | 2025 record → | |
| 2023 Audi S8 | 2023 record → | |
| 2018 Audi S8 | 2018 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Audi S8.
The Audi S8 is a full-size luxury car produced by the German automaker Audi AG, manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant, and part of Audi's S model range. The S8 is the high-performance version of the Audi A8, fitted standard with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system, and was only offered with a short-wheelbase for the first three generations, being joined by a long-wheelbase variant option for the fourth generation.
Source: Audi S8 (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
Audi S8 at a glance
- Production
- 1996–2026
- Model years
- 1996–2026
- Assembly
- Germany: Neckarsulm
- Class
- Full-size luxury car (F)
- Body style
- 4-door sedan
- Layout
- Longitudinal F4 layout (quattro)
- Platform
- Volkswagen Group D platform, MLB
- Engine
- (D2) 4.2 L V8, (D3) 5.2 L V10 FSI, (D4/D5) 4.0 L V8
- Predecessor
- Audi V8
- Related models
- Audi A8, Bentley Flying Spur V8
Recent recalls (1 campaign across the latest model years)
- December 2025, Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2026 vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply… Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Year by year
The Audi S8 across 12 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records | NHTSA recalls | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,450 | 1 | ||
| 2026 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2025 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2024 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2023 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2022 Audi S8 | 17 | $4,550 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2021 Audi S8 | 16 | $4,850 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| 2020 Audi S8 | 16 | $4,850 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 Audi S8 | 18 | $4,300 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 2015 Audi S8 | 20 | $3,900 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the Audi S8, one model year at a time.
| Step | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | Added | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 to 2023 | 17.0 to 18.0 | ||
| 2021 to 2022 | 16.0 to 17.0 | ||
| 2018 to 2020 | 18.0 to 16.0 | Engines: 4L 8-cyl SIDI; Mild Hybrid; Size classes: Large Cars | Engines: 4L 8-cyl SIDI; Size classes: Midsize Cars |
| 2015 to 2016 | 20.0 to 18.0 |
Buying used
What the Audi S8 recalls and complaints are about.
| Model year | Campaigns | Systems recalled | Warnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2025 | 1 | back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2024 | 1 | back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2023 | 2 | air bags (frontal); back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2022 | 3 | equipment (electrical); air bags (frontal); back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2021 | 8 | engine and engine cooling; suspension (rear); seat belts (rear/other); 4 more | None |
| 2020 | 4 | engine and engine cooling; suspension (rear); tires; 1 more | None |
| 2018 | 1 | structure (body) | None |
| 2017 | 2 | structure (body); engine and engine cooling | None |
| 2016 | 3 | fuel system, gasoline (delivery); structure (body); engine and engine cooling | None |
| 2015 | 4 | fuel system, gasoline (delivery); structure (body); engine and engine cooling | None |
| System | Complaints | Share of all complaints | Worst model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| engine | 6 | 46% | 2015 (5) |
| power train | 3 | 23% | 2015 (1) |
| service brakes | 2 | 15% | 2016 (2) |
| steering | 1 | 8% | 2016 (1) |
| suspension | 1 | 8% | 2016 (1) |
| electronic stability control (esc) | 1 | 8% | 2016 (1) |
Trim by trim
Every 2027 Audi S8 trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | AWD | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 563 | 590 | 5,125 | – | 18 | – |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2027 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every Audi S8 model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 563 | 5,125 | – | 21.7 |
| 2026 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 563 | – | – | 21.7 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (MHEV, Twin Turbo) | 563 | 5,126 | – | 21.7 |
| 2024 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (MHEV, Twin Turbo) | 563 | 5,250 | – | 21.7 |
| 2023 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (MHEV, Twin Turbo) | 563 | 5,250 | – | 21.7 |
| 2022 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 563 | – | – | 21.7 |
| 2021 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 563 | 5,302 | – | 21.7 |
| 2020 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 563 | 5,302 | – | 21.7 |
| 2018 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 605 | 4,685 | – | 21.7 |
| 2017 | 1 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 605 | 4,685 | – | 21.7 |
| 2016 | 2 | 4.0-liter V8 (Twin Turbo) | 520–605 | 4,685 | – | 21.7 |
| 2015 | 1 | V8, TT, 4.0L | 520 | 4,685 | – | 21.7 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Model-year recall record
Audi S8: which model years carry more or fewer federal safety recalls.
More recalls than this model’s own average
- 2021 Audi S8 : 8 recalls on file, most commonly affecting backup camera and seat belts.
| Model year | Federal recalls on file | Complaints on file | Recalls most commonly affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | not available | backup camera |
| 2025 | 1 | not available | backup camera |
| 2024 | 1 | not available | backup camera |
| 2023 | 2 | not available | airbags, backup camera |
| 2022 | 3 | not available | equipment, airbags, backup camera |
| 2021 | 8 | 1 | backup camera, seat belts, tires, engine cooling |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | tires, engine cooling, suspension, backup camera |
| 2019 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | structure |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | structure, engine cooling |
| 2016 | 3 | 6 | fuel system, structure, engine cooling |
| 2015 | 4 | 6 | fuel system, structure, engine cooling |
Method: recall counts and their affected components come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Recalls API, queried by exact make, model and model year. Complaint counts come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Complaints API, same query pattern. Data pulled 2026-09-04.
Known gap: the NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Audi S8 model years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream, not returning a genuine zero. Those years are marked "not available" above instead of shown as clean; recall counts for those years are unaffected and come from the separate recalls API, which returned data for every year listed.
Check open recalls by VIN for one particular vehicle.
Q01Is there a best year to buy a Audi S8?
Recall count alone can't answer that: it says nothing about a specific vehicle's price, mileage, accident history or maintenance record. What federal data can say: 2021 carried more. See the model-year table on this page for the exact counts and what they cover.
Q02Which Audi S8 model years should I watch for recalls?
The 2021 Audi S8 has 8 federal recalls on file, most commonly affecting backup camera, seat belts, tires. Always confirm the open/completed status of every campaign for the specific VIN: a recall on this list may already be repaired on the vehicle in front of you.
Q03What are common recall-related problems on the Audi S8 by model year?
2026: backup camera. 2025: backup camera. 2024: backup camera. 2023: airbags, backup camera. 2022: equipment, airbags, backup camera. 2021: backup camera, seat belts, tires, engine cooling.
Q04Why do some Audi S8 model years show "not available" for complaints?
The NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Audi S8 model years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream instead of the count genuinely being zero. Recall counts for those years are unaffected; they come from a separate NHTSA endpoint that returned data for every year listed.
Diagnosing one of these symptoms? The recalled systems above map to this site’s own ownership desks: general, evidence-first guidance that applies regardless of whether the specific vehicle in front of you was ever part of a recall campaign: Engine and cooling, Buying, records and recalls, Brakes, tires and steering, Climate and electrical.
2021 Audi S8 owners specifically: see Climate and electrical and Buying, records and recalls and Brakes, tires and steering and Engine and cooling.
Compared with
Models this Audi S8 is most often compared with.
Nearest Audi models
Other Audi models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2027 S8 come in?
The 2027 Audi S8 (full-size performance sedan) is offered in one trim, S8.
Q02What are the 2027 S8 trims?
The 2027 Audi S8 comes in one trim, S8.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2027 S8 use?
The 2027 Audi S8 is built around 4.0L twin-turbo V8, rated at 563 horsepower across its full-size performance sedan body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2027 S8 have?
The 2027 Audi S8 is rated at 563 horsepower (4.0L twin-turbo V8).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2027 S8?
The 2027 Audi S8 is offered with Standard AWD.