Thanks for the heads up. I guess Miele UK may well push for the cordless battery operated power nozzle that they've tried to sell for years as an optional buy on the TOL models.  Here's a spec comparison shot of the base S5211 (a model I quite like) versus the black S8 base priced at £199 compared to £169 for the older S5. Evidently S5 (to the left) is slightly bigger and heavier but both feature the same length of power cord. I'm prepared to give the S8 a chance, even though I'm not keen on the shape. 

Hey guys, don't forget the U.S and the U.K get different machines, so even if our Miele vacs are cheaper, the U.S will probably get a bigger line of models for a bigger market share and probably a power head as standard. As I've said I'm prepared to like the new Miele S8 but it doesn't really bring much to the table that my Sebo D2 can't do already and having to pay TOL for extra LED lights is just a nonsense; at least the D4 Premium comes with a power head as standard in the UK and everywhere else.

I can't deny however that the S8 looks ultra cool, hip and very modern ALTHOUGH as v6mj states, if it has the same quality as my S6, I wouldn't feel obliged to trust that the body would be free of scrapes a year after ownership. Miele have a knack of dressing up the machines with a bumper and black PVC plastics are obvious parts of the body that would get abuse, but its the side of the body at the top where my S6 seems to get the worst of bumps and scrapes, and indeed any Miele vacuum I've ever had in the cylinder line up seems to be badly protected. Pity Miele don't produce covers for the bodies entirely instead of massively overcharging for a Velvet covered model - and even at that I would be suspect over the Velvet covering actually able to protect the body of the vacuum; as an owner, it's no matter to me whether a machine gets scraped but if you're a collector AND an owner, it can be hard to put up with.

Turbo500 - the Sebo X4 Excel was created only because JL were fed up having to pay off the cost price differences of the older X4 Extra when they ran their "knowingly undersold" policy. The X4 Excel is a sole exclusive to JL - Comet, Currys et al only sell the blue and orange X4 compared to the blue and silver, and the colour difference, fixed pricing and name are the only differences.

Yes but Comet are known for changing prices. I was really shocked a few months ago when my burgundy red S381 that originally (and always) cost £99 suddenly shot up to £249! I emailed Comet about it and they responded that it was "special stock that would be exclusively ordered from Miele." It may well have been but I'd never go about suggesting that £249 is good value for an older base Miele cylinder vac, no matter how well built they are - when there are cheaper priced S5's and other models sitting alongside them from the Miele range sold at the same stockist. They now have a base S700 model that is around £299 which is far too expensive.

Ty for the link. I'm looking at their "Compare S8 models" section right now and Miele UK have listed "lightweight" as a feature, yet none of them are lightweight and have big red X's to indicate what the models don't have. Do you think this would be a disservice to Miele's new S8? 

That's a major pain and a drain on the batteries on board - ty for letting me know. I wonder why Miele didn't allow an activation button to switch the darn thing off. Would make much more sense and more energy saving.