My car & I
Teenager seeks first car and buys Audi S8
Among the many surprises Cameron Peters has up his sleeve is that although his 2002-reg Audi S8 is classed as Euro 3 for emissions purposes, it is, he tells me, exempt from London’s ULEZ charge. Generally speaking, only petrol cars certified as being Euro 4 and above (the classification was introduced in 2005) satisfy the NOx emissions standard used to determine the charge, making them exempt. However, so long as it meets the NOx standard, a Euro 3 car is also exempt. Cameron’s 23-year-old Euro 3 S8 is just such a vehicle. Transport for London’s ULEZ registration checker confirms it.
Cameron, who is a year younger than his S8, bought it three years ago as his first car. He was just 19. So why did he buy a high-performance saloon and not something more practical like a run-of-the-mill Vauxhall Corsa? “I wanted a V8,” he replies, matter-of-factly. “I could have had a Corsa like everyone else my age but an S8 is more comfortable. Insurance was £1600 in the first year, which seemed reasonable, and has since fallen to £700. And, of course, it doesn’t attract the ULEZ charge!”