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The next-generation Audi S8 has been spied testing for the very first time.

Spy photographers caught the Audi S8 prototype testing near the Nurburgring, just like the Audi S7 last week. Expected to debut sometime late next year, the new S8 will pack plenty of high-tech features including Piloted Driving. Under the hood, it is likely that the Audi S8 will turn to the same powerplant found in the Porsche Panamera 4S, which is a 2.9-liter V6 with 440 horsepower.

Although it is still heavily camouflaged, we can see that the luxury sedan sports massive brakes and wheels, as well as sportier bumpers than the standard A8, which has also been caught on camera by spy photographers.

SEE ALSO: Next-Gen Audi A8 Debuting in 2017 with Piloted Driving

The next-generation Audi A8 will make its debut in 2017, ahead of the high-performance S8 variant. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler confirmed earlier this year that the A8 will be the German automaker’s first series-produced car capable of driving itself. It won’t be a fully autonomous vehicle, however, but Audi’s system will be a traffic jam pilot and will be able to drive itself temporarily on the highway at speeds up to 37 mph (60 km/h).

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