2024 Audi S8

The S8 hurtles into the fifth year of its current generation with the slimmest of changes: Now you can start the S8 from a smartphone app and also more easily access navigation and infotainment features. Minor changes are typical for a car at the S8's stage, especially given its nearly 30-year history (it debuted in 1996), but it usually means bigger change is on the way. In this case, change means bidding farewell to the S8's sonorous eight-cylinder, as Audi pivots to an all-electric future. We don't rule out the S8 hanging on one more year, but with an electric A8 on the horizon, the sizzling supersedan — capable of sprinting from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds — is taking its last laps. Enthusiasts will want to fortify their bank accounts and garages to accommodate this new collectible.

There's surprisingly ample choice in the relatively rarefied air of large luxury sedans, although the air gets thinner as performance thresholds increase. The S8's nearest rivals are powerful German sleds like the 496-hp Mercedes-Benz S 580 or the BMW 760i xDrive, with its 4.4-liter turbo V8. Both deliver similarly elite performance and pampering, although the S8 is the most athletic of the bunch. An alternative, the BMW M850i Gran Coupe gains back some of the S8's handling advantage. If comfort takes priority, the Lexus LS 500 is a pillowy cloud of serenity that feels big in the corners and lacks the S8's overall power but still moves regally in a straight line. The Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera present other intriguing options.