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Last updated on August 6th, 2017 at 06:07 am
Shows how much I know about cars. I’ve been wondering about the curious from-cold behaviour of the test Audi’s brakes, which grab unexpectedly during initial stops despite no increase in pedal pressure.
That trait vanishes following subsequent stops, after which braking becomes perfectly linear. Why? Why? If I’d thought to check earlier, I’d have found that this particular Audi S8 is equipped with optional ($10,000!) carbon/silicon carbide brakes, which simply behave differently during warm-up than traditional metal discs (carbon is a tricky, sometimes counter-intuitive material; when carbon clutches were introduced to Formula One some years ago, drivers learned to aggressively ride the clutch on parade laps to build sufficient race-start heat).
So the first few minutes of an S8 commute can be a little jerky. On the up side, these mighty stoppers not only repeatedly and reliably haul a 4,200 pound car down from 250 km/h-plus but are said to provide undiminished performance for 300,000 kilometres (180,000 miles).
Full review of Audi’s remarkable Lamborghini-powered limo in a week or so; review of the Suzuki Swift Sport appears in tomorrow’s Sunday Telegraph.
UPDATE. Another reviewer notes the grabbiness.
