SUPERB PERFORMANCE, REFINED, SOUNDS GREAT
Glance under the hood and you know the Audi V8 means business. A motor not blotted out by a ridiculous-looking plastic cover, its naked cam covers, orange plug leads and variable length intake runners stand proud.
What you don't see from the outside is the fact that this motor uses variable valve-timing via inlet camshaft angle change, five valves per cylinder head and a fine-tuned, sporty exhaust that makes itself heard just when you want it, without ever getting obtrusive. However, it still isn't as refined as the grave-silent Merc S350L at idle.
Unlike the Merc, you're not oblivious to the presence of the motor, with some sensation of a spinning engine present. You're aware of the motor turning at idle and you know that engine speed is rising when you take off from rest. Of course, this is only relative, possibly due to the aluminium body that conducts noise better. Still at cruising speeds there isn't much difference between the two, the Audi V8 silky as anything around the 2000rpm mark.
There is no comparison as far as performance is concerned though: the much larger, deeper-breathing 335bhp Audi V8 simply blows the doors off the Merc. Right from the very positive throttle responses off idle, to the tractable bottom end, the strong mid-range and the sledgehammer-like top end, this engine is strong everywhere.
The steering-mounted F1-style paddle shifters mated to the quick and slick-shifting auto are a delight to use. Punch down a couple of gears, bring the motor into its midrange and the V8 yanks you forward as if this were a large sporting coupe, pulling hard whatever the speed. The Audi reaches a limited maximum of 250kph in fifth, with the motor holding much more in reserve. But you're very unlikely to need or want more than that.
Flat out, 100kph comes up in 7.88 seconds, with 60kph reached in 3.59 seconds from rest; sports car-like performance that is simply devastating.