The Audi S8 is already a formidable beast, what with its 520 twin-turbocharged horses thundering forth from its 4.0-liter V-8. But the mad scientists at German tuning shop MTM are never satisfied. Hence the roadgoing rocket you see here: a beefed-up and boosted S8 that punishes the pavement with a full 750 horsepower and nearly 700 lb-ft of torque.
MTM accomplished this feat of strength via its time-honored method of cranking up the turbo boost to insane levels. Based on the same engine that appears in the tuner’s bonkers orange-and-gray RS6 Avant, this S8 features, yes, the juiced-up turbos, but also a modified exhaust with “sound-enhancing flaps” and a bolstered cooling system to look after all those ponies. A revised ECU raises the eight-speed automatic transmission’s shift points to 7000 rpm and lets the car unreel its thrust all the way up to 202 mph.
As unbelievable as it may be, that 202-mph terminal velocity is electronically limited—MTM says the fully uncorked S8 Talladega could hit 217, but the limitations of tire technology preclude those final 15 mph. As it stands, the 295-width tires on 21-inch wheels have plenty to deal with transferring all that power through the S8’s Quattro all-wheel drive.
The basic—if such a word can be applied to such a sedan—S8 rings in at a touch below $116,000. For the Talladega edition, you’ll shell out an additional $40,000. And you better be quick—the über-sedan, built to commemorate MTM’s immensely turbocharged Audi 5000’s 218-mph run around Talladega Superspeedway in 1986, is limited to just 25 examples.
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