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The Master is back!


Ska
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I thought for a second you'd given away the plot of next week's episode of Doctor Who, but now I realise that you're talking about some-one far more powerful...

Welcome back Sven, yours is a name spoken in hushed whispers amongst the TSN cognoscenti.

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Welcome back Sven, and welcome too Ronin :notworthy:

Sad to read the story about the Alcantara, let's hope that Sonax sort it out, and soon :openfire:

You here to stay this time?;)

Thanks Tony! :beer:

Yeah, the sodding Alcantara mishap is sickening (both having to look at it and the way the responsible party is handling it). But I'm not one to roll over and play dead, as they'll soon find out.:punched:

Yup, defo planning to pass by on a regular basis. It's been too long... :uhoh:

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Hi Chris, likewise! :cool:

I gather you're the proud owner of a brand spanking RS6?:notworthy:

What can I say... WOW! You never settled for anything less than the best. Somehow I'd have thought the new S8 would adorn your driveway at some point, but you're back in RS regions I see. :D

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I had a D3 W12. And a D3 S8. And a C6 allroad (now the wife's, her C5 went). Err, and another D3 S8.

And of course the C6 RS 6. I rather hope I'm keeping this one a little bit longer - the last RS 6 lasted 2 years!

Ah yeah, I still recall 'The Behemoth' :cool:

That S8 is really mouthwatering, given the choice I'd prefer it over the W12.

Nice writeup too - as usual. This struck me especially: " The S8 seems to shrink when you really drive it." That's so true, I always have the exact same feeling. Good it's still there in the V10...

But yeah, the RS6 has even more power of course. Addictive huh?

I haven't had the pleasure yet, but some say the V10 is a bit more 'docile' (lacking a better word) compared to the V8. Not in performance absolutes, but in the way it's delivered. What's your take on that?

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how do you rate the new RS6 against all those other models.. like W12, S8 and old version RS6?

Good question.

Going from the C5 RS 6 to the W12 was a big change. Same horsepower, same weight, but much smoother an experience. It never felt as fast as the RS 6, even though it's the car I've driven faster than any other (170+ mph on the autobahn). The handling was good for such a big car, and the interior was just so good. The W12 really was a bit of an odd car though; just on the luxury side of sporting, just on the sporty side of crusing. It was a very good mix though, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The S8 was a revelation though. I always thought the SWB W12 was a filler until the S8 arrived, and I was right - Audi dropped the SWB W12 when the S8 started shipping. The S8 had less torque but the same hp from it's higher-revving V10. The V10 is also lighter than the W12 by some margin, and the short length of the block and the lower block and sump design of the meant a lower centre of gravity and less weight slung further in front of the front axle, so handling and balance were improved quite a bit. The 60/40 torque split meant it was possible to briefly get tail-out action before ESP reigned things in. Somehow, despite being taughter and running on 20" wheels, the suspension was softer over bumps, and the steering ratio was tightened to make it feel more direct. In short, it somehow managed to be sportier and more comfortable than the W12. The S8 is truly an amazing car, with the ability to crush long-distance trips in no time, with no driver fatigue at all, yet as a solo piloted machine for having fun in, it also has bags of chuckability for it's size. For the performance and luxury mix, I think they're a bargain. It's a shame Audi UK dump so many lightly-used A8s into the network and slam residuals so much, but that's good for used buyers - they're an incredible bargain with 10k miles on them.

The C6 RS 6 is back to the raw feel of the C5 RS 6, but with a twist. In Comfort mode, it's not really much harder than the S8, but in Sport mode, you feel every tiny bump in the road. Of course, with turbos blowing, it's got that same effortless acceleration the C5 RS 6 had, and the same sense of a swelling surge of acceleration. But it's much, much faster; 0-62 mph times don't tell the RS 6 story. In 3rd gear, it positively flies. For overtaking on single-carriage A roads, it's just incredible, and sometimes I'm amazed even though I know what it's capable of. The gearing is quite high, and it turns over considerably less rpms than the S8 did at the same speed in 6th gear, giving it an effortless feel.

Audis always feel solid, and the W12 and S8 both felt very strong and dependable, but the RS 6 feels like it's been hewn from a single lump of granite - the steering wheel is heavier, the turn in feels sharper, and the whole car exudes an amazing sense of solidity. Of course, you can feel that bulk in corners, although under power it's well-contained. There's a distinct tendency to oversteer when lifting off or braking mid-corner, and I suspect with ESP off, the RS 6 could bite quite hard.

The interior is the usual Audi superb effort, and noticably upgraded from the S6, with swathes of black piano finish and carbon fibre rather than the regular A6 metallic look grey plastic. The seats are wonderfully comfortable, supportive, and very grippy, especially with alcantara centres, as I have.

So far I've got no regrets at all about changing. I've made a student colelction run from Durham, and it happily swallowed three people and a year's accumulated student junk and dirty clothes, yet I can also enjoy time alone on empty country roads.

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I haven't had the pleasure yet, but some say the V10 is a bit more 'docile' (lacking a better word) compared to the V8. Not in performance absolutes, but in the way it's delivered. What's your take on that?

It's a very refined engine, for sure, and it has a very split personality in the S8; the low-rpm character is a smooth rumble that builds to a steady growl, but above 4800 rpm, the manifold opens up and there's a noticable surge in acceleration and the V10 turns into a shrieking beast up to it's 7200 rpm redline. I'd say it's docile until you really provoke it!:grin:

There's a noticable difference in the S6 too, there's a lot more low rpm noise, and that manic last few hundred rpm seem a little bit muted, showing the S6's hew less horsepower at the top end. Amazing what a difference the exhaust makes.

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Hey, if it isn't my good friend from over the pond! Hope all is well with you and K., and both 8's? :cool:

I sent you an e-mail a while back (in reply of the S8 mods) but never heard back. Now I know why...

I'll PM you a new mail addy right away! ;)

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HI-Great to hear you're still around-I remember when I first chanced upon this forum and the invaluable advice and help I got from you-you've been sadly missed.-like you, I only get to visit the forum occasionally, but it's always interesting-still got the old s8, but it gets used only rarely now-maybe a trundle round every couple of weeks or so-can't see the point of selling it now-I couldn't get anything else half as good without spending ridiculous amounts of money so I imagine I'll have it forever!

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Hi Fenn, good to meet you here again! :cool:

Same here, I'll most likely keep the S8 for the rest of it's/my days. It's with me for five years now, and I know what's been done to maintain it in the proper condition. Besides, it still manages to put a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel.

Bet it'll be an interesting classic one day... ;)

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