The D3 S8 (US-market 2007-2009) is the V10 flagship: a 5.2L FSI V10 (450 hp) closely related to the Lamborghini Gallardo / Audi R8 engine, with a 6-speed Tiptronic, quattro, air suspension, and an aluminum space frame. The car's identity is the engine — owners revel in the Gallardo connection and the V10 sound, and one famous comment captures the marketing irony (Lamborghini calls it Audi-derived for reliability; Audi calls it Lamborghini-derived for exotic cred). …
Library / Audi
Audi S8 (D3)
48 sales analyzed · 4 topics from real Bring a Trailer & Cars & Bids comments.
“When you're buying an Audi they tell you it's Lamborghini-derived because they want you to feel like you're getting an exotic supercar and not a German sedan.”TJP_77 · May 10, 2017
- The Gallardo-derived V10 sedanownership-experienceThe whole appeal is the 5.2 V10 and its exotic lineage. Owners who've run an S8 and a Gallardo note the engines feel quite different in tune and delivery despite the shared roots, and the running joke about whether it's 'Audi-derived' or 'Lamborghini-derived' captures the car's dual identity perfectly. …
- Sublime sound and rideownership-experienceBeyond the spec sheet, owners describe the experience in superlatives — the V10 exhaust note even in stock form is a top-tier sound, and the car rides like an 'iron fist in a velvet glove': fast, quiet, and beautifully built. …
- Maintenance-intensive — go in eyes openmechanicalThese are expensive flagships to keep. The recurring items are air suspension (struts/compressor), DI carbon cleaning (every ~30-50k, ~$1,600 at a dealer), failure-prone intake-manifold flaps, fuel pumps (~80-95k), the oil-filter-housing O-ring (hardens ~40k, needs intake removal), and O2 sensors (some need engine-out access). …
- Buying: verify history, get a PPIbuying-adviceBecause they're cheap to buy but costly to fix, due diligence pays: get full service records, a specialist PPI with codes pulled and the car on a ramp, and verify title/history — some cars have hidden repo or damage pasts. DIY-capable owners report the running costs are very manageable if you do your own work. …