A8 - 6.0 - do I?

[J-Skid]

Quick question - had a good look through the ads and done a search on here - I'm very tempted by an A8 - do little miles so fuel costs are not an issue, so am seriously tempted by a 2/3 year old A8 6.0.

Any view / experience?

[J-Skid]

guess they're not that popular then.....

[Targarama]

Do it. Or get an S600 Merc / BMW V12

[Dr G]

Epic torque, all the toys, crippling depreciation and useless range from a tank.

Virtually impossible to sell on!

Fun though

[J-Skid]

Thanks for the input. So, great fun, lots of toys, but won't get much for it when it comes time to refresh at 5/6 years old.

Hmmmmm

[BillyWhiz]

i don't think they are much quicker than the 4.2 petrols or deisels, which won't depreciate as much. If it's a good price and you intend keeping it for a while, then why not....

[phlap]

I cant pretend its sensible but greatly admire someone who thinks this is a good idea
What a car .
Let us know if you do get one.

[J-Skid]

phlap said:

I cant pretend its sensible but greatly admire someone who thinks this is a good idea
What a car .
Let us know if you do get one.

I know it's completely mad.... other cars I am looking at are an S500 and a 750i or even 760i - just the A8 6.0s seem to have massive "bang for buck" compared....plus they are just that bit different!

[RedLeicester]

I bought a 4.2 a few months back, and am now kicking myself - the V8 is plenty quick enough for most situations, muchly helped by the low kerb weight, and ours has every toy known to man, yet as you say with the prices so ludicrous I'm damned annoyed I didn't get the W12 in the first place. Go do it, if you don't like it, we can swap

[J-Skid]

RedLeicester said:

I bought a 4.2 a few months back, and am now kicking myself - the V8 is plenty quick enough for most situations, muchly helped by the low kerb weight, and ours has every toy known to man, yet as you say with the prices so ludicrous I'm damned annoyed I didn't get the W12 in the first place. Go do it, if you don't like it, we can swap

Good to know - can I ask if you're happy with it otherwise? Any issues?

[derestrictor]

Wait...

No, really, wait...

[Fort Jefferson]

What about a VW Pheaton 6.0 W12 same car? even cheaper. 444bhp and lots of torques.

[derestrictor]

Nowhere near as nice an 'ownership proposition,' though, tbf.

Again, this sector will only go the way of a flaming Zep over the coming period.

[RedLeicester]

J-Skid said:

RedLeicester said:

I bought a 4.2 a few months back, and am now kicking myself - the V8 is plenty quick enough for most situations, muchly helped by the low kerb weight, and ours has every toy known to man, yet as you say with the prices so ludicrous I'm damned annoyed I didn't get the W12 in the first place. Go do it, if you don't like it, we can swap

Good to know - can I ask if you're happy with it otherwise? Any issues?

Very very pleased as it happens. Far more subtle than the usual S-class / 7-series / Lexarse brigade which suits me down to the ground. Toys are all top notch, especially leccy/heated/ventilated/massaging seats (front and back in mine, all options!) and the solar sun roof has come in very handy as the weather has hotted up. The 4.2 is nice and swift, silent at a cruise but poky when you want it (plus the paddles work well), though as a TVR man, I can't help hankering after a bit more oomph, but it's capable of showing a clean pair of heels to most things in the right gear. To cap it all off, it sticks two fingers up at the diesel brigade as on a run using the adaptive cruise I've regularly seen 28mpg out of it which is stonking for a V8 barge.

Would I have another? Yes, in a flash.
Would I have another V8? Only if I didn't find a W12 first!

The certainly depreciate massively - ours was £78k new, and we paid £19k three years on.... That slide will no doubt continue, and the stupid market driven by stupid customers and stupid salesmen doesn't like big petrol cars, so it'll just keep on losing money - however I didn't buy it as an investment, and intend to run it for a goodly number of years as my motorway hack, so who the hell cares. Sold my last hack with 157k on the clock, so frankly at that sort of mileage anything will have lost virtually all its value!

Go drive a few and see what you think - I decided the premium for the diesels wasn't worth the handful of extra mpg both given the increasing cost of diesel compared to unleaded and the extra cabin noise. Spec wise they seem to differ greatly, and with almost everything being an option you'd be surprised what's missing off well-specced cars - despite the enormous purchase price of ours, and the solar room, adaptive cruise, massaging etc it lacks the £300 split armrest... random! None of the big things will be missing, but it just gives one pause for thought - try not to be wowed by the big items and check for the small ones.

[RedLeicester]

Oh and we did look at the Phaeton briefly - dull as ditchwater and handled like the QE2 by comparison, whilst not being a great deal cheaper...

[tuffer]

Hooohhooohooo just looked up the stats on a A8 4.2 Diesel:

0-60 (secs): 5.9
Torque (Nm): 650 @ 1600 RPM
Torque Imp (lb/ft): 479.44 @ 1600 RPM

Sounds like fun!

[J-Skid]

RedLeicester said:

J-Skid said:

RedLeicester said:

I bought a 4.2 a few months back, and am now kicking myself - the V8 is plenty quick enough for most situations, muchly helped by the low kerb weight, and ours has every toy known to man, yet as you say with the prices so ludicrous I'm damned annoyed I didn't get the W12 in the first place. Go do it, if you don't like it, we can swap

Good to know - can I ask if you're happy with it otherwise? Any issues?

Very very pleased as it happens. Far more subtle than the usual S-class / 7-series / Lexarse brigade which suits me down to the ground. Toys are all top notch, especially leccy/heated/ventilated/massaging seats (front and back in mine, all options!) and the solar sun roof has come in very handy as the weather has hotted up. The 4.2 is nice and swift, silent at a cruise but poky when you want it (plus the paddles work well), though as a TVR man, I can't help hankering after a bit more oomph, but it's capable of showing a clean pair of heels to most things in the right gear. To cap it all off, it sticks two fingers up at the diesel brigade as on a run using the adaptive cruise I've regularly seen 28mpg out of it which is stonking for a V8 barge.

Would I have another? Yes, in a flash.
Would I have another V8? Only if I didn't find a W12 first!

The certainly depreciate massively - ours was £78k new, and we paid £19k three years on.... That slide will no doubt continue, and the stupid market driven by stupid customers and stupid salesmen doesn't like big petrol cars, so it'll just keep on losing money - however I didn't buy it as an investment, and intend to run it for a goodly number of years as my motorway hack, so who the hell cares. Sold my last hack with 157k on the clock, so frankly at that sort of mileage anything will have lost virtually all its value!

Go drive a few and see what you think - I decided the premium for the diesels wasn't worth the handful of extra mpg both given the increasing cost of diesel compared to unleaded and the extra cabin noise. Spec wise they seem to differ greatly, and with almost everything being an option you'd be surprised what's missing off well-specced cars - despite the enormous purchase price of ours, and the solar room, adaptive cruise, massaging etc it lacks the £300 split armrest... random! None of the big things will be missing, but it just gives one pause for thought - try not to be wowed by the big items and check for the small ones.

Thank you sir - good advice as to the options - I'm having a look at one at Docklands Audi tomorrow which is 3 years old and seems to have everything under the sun, including rear seat screens, coolbox / bar etc etc. Only done 20,000 miles.......

[Penguinracer]

Do it - but bargain HARD! The difference between the twelves & the eights in theses barges is night & day. It's so not much that an A8 W12, S600 or 760 is appreciably faster than its V8 siblings - it's the the fact that everything happens at half the revs, the motor is smoother than a Columbian hooker coated in baby oil & the things have more torque (low down) than Joe Pesci! My old E32 750iL is leagues better than the old E38 740i my brother used to own. The V12 played thoroughbred to the V8's standardbred.