AUDI RS Q8 Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Audi introduced the most powerful version of the Q8 in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and bragged about setting a lap record around the famous Nurburgring racetrack.

With an increased demand for high-performance SUVs, Audi couldn’t sit tight and hope for the best. So, after launching the Q8 as an SUV-Coupe in 2018 and offering it with an S version that raised its power up to 507 PS (500 hp), the four-rings brand shook the market in 2019 when it unveiled the 600 PS (592 hp) RS Q8, which was available exclusively powered by a turbocharged gasoline engine, unlike the S Q8 that was made in two versions: a gas-powered and a turbo-diesel. But the most important part of the RS Q8 was that, underneath its skin, the RS Q8 was a Lamborghini Urus, but with less power.

Audi was no stranger to SUVs and all-wheel drive systems. It was also known for creating several other potent SUVs, so the RS Q8 wasn’t exactly a surprise for them. But the car couldn’t look just like the S Q8; it had to be meaner. As a result, it featured a much more aggressive front fascia fitted with a wide single-frame grille finished in piano black. The automaker offered the RS Q8 with standard Matrix LED headlights featuring tri-dimensional daytime running lights. Their design was mimicked on the taillights. Since the car had a wider track than the regular Q8, its stance was already more aggressive, and thanks to the adaptive air suspension, it could be lowered to decrease ground effect. From its profile, the black door mirror caps and pillars emphasized the coupe-like shape of the greenhouse. Finally, at the back, the automaker installed two wide oval exhausts on the sides that flanked a diffuser placed underneath the bumper.

Inside, the automaker created a luxurious cabin with sports bucket seats at the front and a bench profiled for two in the rear. These were covered in Valcona leather with a honeycomb pattern and RS embossing on the seatbacks. The driver fronted the already-known Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster that could show more info about performance, navigation, and engine parameters. In addition, the automaker installed on the center stack its top-of-the-line MMI (Man-Machine-Interface) infotainment unit.

But the most significant changes compared to the rest of the Audi Q8 range happened under the skin. Audi had increased the front and rear tracks increased over the standard Q8 by 120 mm (4.7”) and 458 mm (18”), respectively. In addition, it fitted the car with wider tires and 22” light-alloy wheels. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo hot-turbocharged V8 engine produced just 50 ponies (49 hp) less than the Urus. As a result, it was just 0.1-second slower on the 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) run than its Italian sibling. It was the most expensive RS-badged Audi.