The Audi S8 Looks To Be Stealing Moves From The Porsche Panamera

These past few weeks, Audi has been sending a hefty collection of upcoming models to the Nurburgring for testing. We recently saw the RS5 testing with a version of Porsche's turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 engine. Then, a week later, we caught the Audi S7 testing with the same engine, so it's only fitting that the third Audi we spot lapping the Green Hell also carries over the Porsche V6. In this case, the Audi we see here is the S8, or a direct competitor to the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class.

While it's hard to tell under the heavy camouflage, the S8 bears a similar smile to the S7 we saw. With a widened grille opening and more squinty lights, it seems to take plenty of cues from the Audi Prologue Concept we saw at the 2014 LA Auto Show. While the hood doesn't feature as many chiseled lines and looks a bit fatter than the slim profile of the concept, the S8 we spied certainly appears to pack a punch, a look aided by large wheels and beefy brakes. Quad exhaust pipes at the rear only keep the sporty theme going, and our guess is that once the camouflage is dropped, we'll be able to see a more aggressive combination of bumpers.

As we mentioned before, the beating heart will likely be Porsche's turbocharged 2.9-liter V6, which will probably make the same 440 horsepower under the hood of the S8. Hopefully, the turbocharged V8 from the Porsche Panamera Turbo also makes its way to the options list, and as much as we love the huge yet useless W12, we would expect hell to freeze over before that powerplant comes to market in 2018. Luckily, the use of the lighter MBQ platform should help the engine be burdened with less responsibility. If the W12 somehow manages to see the engine bay of the S8, expect a plug near the gas cap to help the EPA happy.