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Top of Audi Q line is powerful mashup of racing coupe and SUV

If you are looking for a high-end and sporty V8 coupe that is also a little SUV, Audi has a 600-hp mean machine for you that is coming out later this year. The all-new RS Q8, the top model in the Q product line, is the first RS-SUV from Audi in America and a true hybrid mashup of power, style, and serious attitude.

It's expensive -- and it looks like it knows it.

The biturbo 4.0-liter V8 delivers exhilarating performance and driving dynamics, setting a new standard as the pinnacle of the RS model line. The turbocharged gasoline engine with direct injection accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.8 sec. It can hold speed too. The RS Q8 recently became the fastest production SUV ever to lap the renowned Nürburgring racetrack with an official time of 7 min. 42.2 sec. Top track speed is an electronically governed 155 mph, or 189 mph when equipped with the RS ceramic brakes.

The power of the 4.0 TFSI flows to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system via the standard eight-speed Tiptronic transmission. Wheel-selective torque control can help enhance handling by ensuring additional traction across each axle through individual-wheel braking application. During dynamic cornering, the quattro sport rear differential distributes drive torque between the rear wheels as required. This active torque vectoring helps improve traction, stability, and dynamics.

Its mild-hybrid system (MHEV) is based on a 48-V main electrical system. The core of the MHEV is a belt alternator-starter connected to the crankshaft. During deceleration and braking, it can recover up to 12 kW of power and store it in the compact lithium-ion battery. The interplay of the MHEV components improves ride comfort and also has the potential to reduce fuel consumption in everyday driving.

MHEV technology allows for start/stop operation at a speed of up to 13.7 mph. The mild-hybrid system is connected to the camera sensors for even greater efficiency. When stopped, the engine starts up while the brake pedal is still depressed as soon as the front camera detects that the vehicle in front of the new RS Q8 begins to move.

The adaptive air suspension with controlled damping means the RS Q8 is equally at home on or off the paved road. Its RS-specific damper tuning offers drivers a choice between long-distance comfort and high performance. The electromechanical active roll stabilization (EAWS) minimizes body roll while cornering at speed. The all-wheel steering allows for greater agility at low speeds and improved stability at high speeds. With variable ground clearance, short overhangs, and hill descent control, Audi says its new RS Q8 "can carry on confidently when paved roads end."

Drivers can customize their driving experience through the standard Audi drive select system with seven different profiles: comfort, auto, dynamic, allroad, offroad, and the individually configurable RS-specific modes RS1 and RS2, which can be activated directly via the "RS-MODE" button on the steering wheel. The Audi drive select setting influences the engine and transmission management, power steering, the air suspension, all-wheel steering and engine sound.

Outside, the car sports a strikingly self-confident face with its beefy RS-specific gloss black honeycomb grille and the solid side air inlets. The dynamic roofline ends in gently inclined D-pillars, which are supported by the wide, pronounced wheel arches, paying homage to the vehicle's quattro DNA.

The interior of the new RS Q8 features a clean and refined design. It looks and feels like a high-end race car (is that a thing?) -- not a premium crossover SUV. The slim instrument panel and strong horizontal lines convey a feeling of spaciousness. The central element in the cockpit is the MMI touch response system. With its black-panel look, it almost dissolves into a large, black surface when switched off.

Special RS displays in the Audi virtual cockpit and MMI display provide information such as output, g-forces, temperature, torque, and tire pressure -- and even lap times. The shift light display prompts the driver to upshift when the rev limit is reached. The optional head-up display also offers several RS-specific graphics.

The RS Q8 further demonstrates its everyday usability in the rear. A sliding three-seat rear bench is standard. With the seat backrests folded down, the luggage compartment under the power rear hatch holds up to 60.7 cubic ft (a really decent amount of space -- about the same as a Mazda CX-5).

European models will be available this spring, with the RS Q8 hitting American showrooms later in the year. U.S. pricing has not been released, but the Euro model will start at $140,000 (127,000 euros). We told you it was expensive!

Interested? Get updates from Audi here.

RS Q8 European models in Galaxy blue, Florett silver, and Daytona grey.

 

 

Source: Audi AG

Published January 2020

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