If Hollywood ever decides to remake classic chase caper 'Ronin' then the new Audi S8 could be star of the show. Considering the current predilection for rehashing great films that is not beyond the realms of imagination and it would give us a chance to see the all new patriarch of the Audi family put through its paces.

The Audi S8, set to be unveiled alongside the S6 and S7 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is powered by the same 4.0-litre TFSI as its smaller siblings but this time with everything turned up to eleven. In the S8 the twin-turbo V8 will crank out 513bhp and 479lb.ft of torque. This power will see the predominantly aluminium über-saloon complete the 0-62mph sprint in an R8-rivalling 4.2 seconds before wafting along to a limited top speed of 155mph.

Despite a gain of nearly 70bhp over the old V10 engine the new S8 boasts average fuel economy of 27.7mpg, up some 23 per cent from the car of old. Like the S6 and S7 the new Audi S8 features a stop-start system and 'cylinder on demand' technology to deactivate four of the eight cylinders when under part load. Unlike the other cars, which use seven-speed S-tronic transmissions, the S8 is equipped with an eight-speed gearbox that is designed to hustle up to tall gears during normal driving conditions but can instantly provide the V8's power when called upon.

The S8 will get all the equipment options of the regular Audi A8, including driver assistance systems and parking system with 360-degree camera.

Paul Healy - 31 Aug 2011