20-06-2025
The Audi RS Q8 is a high-riding supercar
With the hammer dropped all the way, the 4.0l motor spits out 471kW/850Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.6 seconds. We have tested faster from Audi — the electric RS E-Tron GT comes to mind.
But this offers a different sensation entirely. Old school and visceral, the mechanical symphony that happens as pedal depression translates to pace is something to savour. On a hard launch, you can feel the Quattro system gripping as it sends the hefty RS Q8 from rest and towards road-shredding higher velocities.
To say accessing its full performance capabilities is foolproof might be an overstatement because even with its leech-like all-wheel drive system, the RS Q8 could be a lethal weapon in overzealous hands. One needs full sensitisation to its weight and deceptively brutal acceleration before getting into a proper, comfortable rhythm of dynamic driving.
A tag of R3,265,100 is what the model goes for, before options and individualisation. This includes a five-year/100,000km maintenance plan.
For reference, the Lamborghini Urus begins at R4,875,000 while the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT comes in at R4,506,000.
