Just got car and driver the new A8 4.0 is sub 4 second zero to 60 for like 15000 less than the S8 LoL....

Cliff
hows that for inflaming LoL

At 4.6 seconds 0-60, several cars with a V8 and AWD are faster or as fast as the GT V8 and they cost tens of thousands less. For example, BMW 750i xDrive (4.6s), Panamera GTS (4.2s), Audi S8, etc. I do not think Bentley was targeting top acceleration with a GT V8. Instead, the V8 is positioned as an "entry-level" Bentley. It allegedly compromises nothing, yet delivers better fuel economy and almost the same performance. And it's still a Bentley. As far as "bang for the buck" is concerned, you will always get more with Audi, MB, BMW, etc - more performance, more features, etc. It's the intangibles that make a difference. Plus, anyone who wonders why Bentleys cost so much compared to Audis should take a look at RR cars - you get even less performance for almost double the money. And you attract a small crowd wherever you go as a cherry on top.

I was also considering an S8 when looking for a car back in February. I have done A LOT of research on it. There are a few things to be aware of.

Even though the base price of an S8 is $110K, it costs $5,500 just to get the "full leather" dash and even then you still see quite a few bits of cheap plastic here and there. Not cool.

As far as tires are concerned, regardless of which wheel type you select, the car comes with summer tires. Looking at Tire Rack, nobody makes all season or winter tires in 265/35 R21 size. If you go with 275/35 R21, you are stuck with Dunlop SP winter tires for $1,836 per set. Barring that, you will need a new set of (smaller) rims with a set of winter tires. Not cool if you live in a place where temperatures drop to 30's in the winter.

For some reason, Audi dealers perceive S8 to be an "exclusive" (yes, this is a direct quote) car. I can't understand why, since my definition of "exclusive" is something that cannot be easily obtained at will. Anyway, many dealers do not have an S8 in the inventory (probably because they don't sell that well). Those that do, have cars loaded with useless options, like the $2,500 "driver assistance package" or an eye-watering $6,300 B&O sound system. As a result, those cars are more around $125K and dealers are not willing to discount the car at all. If you want to custom order one to your liking, prepare to wait for 4+ months. In contrast, there is plenty of beautiful Bentleys at almost every dealer and there is room for negotiation.

Anyone thinking about leasing will be blown away by a residual value of an S8. How about 43% after 3 years and 10K miles? Freaking Kia has like 56% residual.

Audi navigation and telematics are top notch, but the ugly pop-up nav screen is a monstrosity. it looks straight out of Pep Boys. It looks even uglier in person. Honestly, I don't know what Audi was thinking.

Audi dealership experience can be atrocious. Large metro area dealerships seem to be especially bad. Customer service is mediocre, technicians are poorly trained (especially on high end cars).

You'll be sharing the place with middle-age soccer moms that got a $27K A3 (not because they like Audis, but because they wanted to show their BMW-driving next door neighbor what's up). In contrast, Bentley dealers work only with Bentley owners, so there is a certain level of treatment that comes with that. For example, my dealership sends a flatbed to my house when my car is due to service and returns it back to my doorstep when they are done.

There is only one thing that an S8 excels in - it's very low profile. It looks just like a $72K A8 from 30 ft away, which is something I can definitely appreciate. Nobody will know you are driving a $120K rocket ship. With a Bentley, everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) knows what it is.