2012 Audi S8 suggests eight is more than twelve [w/video]

Here's the thing about the Audi A8 lineup: When you reach above the standard and long-wheelbase 4.2-liter car, you have choices. You can go up to the glorious $133,500 A8L W12, or you can choose a more enthusiast-minded route – the S8.

You see, while the A8L W12 may produce 500 horsepower and 469 pound-feet of torque from its 6.3-liter 12-cylinder engine, the S8 uses a pair of turbos mated to the company's new 4.0-liter V8 to pump out an impressive 520 hp and 479 lb-ft. That means the absolutely massive all-wheel-drive sedan can sprint to 62 miles per hour in a scant 4.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited, of course).

We're sure the 6.3-liter W12 is a lovely engine, but in this day and age, turbochargers are an increasingly fitting replacement for displacement – especially when you can still have enjoy a throaty V8 snarl. Have a look at the S8 in our high-res image gallery above, then watch (and hear) Audi's big daddy hustle around the track in the videos after the jump.