2021 Audi RS Q8 review: Supercar fun for the whole family

Higher-overall performance SUVs with coupe-like rooflines are certainly a thoroughly fledged class of their own, with the BMW X6 M Competitiveness, Mercedes-AMG GLE63 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo offered now. All boast a dash of supplemental fashion over ordinarily shaped SUVs, not to mention heaps of electric power and punched-up dealing with capabilities. The newcomer in this class is the Audi RS Q8, a overall performance CUV so very well-honed it now holds the generation SUV lap report of seven minutes, 42.2 seconds all around Germany’s Nürburgring. 

Decrease-important performer

What does the Audi’s Nürburgring lap report imply? To car dorks it usually means bragging legal rights. For anyone else, not significantly. But this basic tale of the tape is something men and women of all automotive knowledge bases will very likely comprehend. The coronary heart and soul of this achievement is the RS Q8’s motor: a 4.-liter twin-turbocharged V8 shoving out 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque with the latter getting your again from 2,two hundred to 4,500 rpm. 

Channeling electric power to all of the RS Q8’s wheels is an eight-speed automatic transmission, permitting this SUV to achieve 60 mph in just three.seven seconds, on its way to a leading speed of a hundred ninety mph. (Observe: This leading speed is only unlocked if you spring for the upgraded carbon ceramic brakes.) All points thought of, those are bonkers stats. But you know what? The BMW, Mercedes and Porsche all replicate that -to-60-mph time.

In the actual environment, the Audi’s drivetrain incredibly doesn’t behave like an indignant, hyperactive brute. From a dig, the RS Q8 doesn’t start with insane gusto. Instead, it easily will get out of the hole, pulls powerful to the engine’s 6,750-rpm redline and rattles off seamless, very well-timed gear alterations. If you usually are not spending close attention, it can be quick to get very well past posted speed restrictions on floor streets, thanks to the progressive throttle tuning and reduced gurgle from the exhaust. You get civilized aggression from the powertrain. The RS Q8 is never ever loud, shouty or harsh when likely about its business, though I would like it were being a bit a lot more uncooked and loud in Dynamic manner.

Continuing the easy topic, technological bits like a 48-volt gentle-hybrid program and cylinder deactivation go unnoticed. There is no wonkiness in the brake pedal and you’d be tough pressed to inform when the V8 is functioning on some or all of its cylinders. Those initiatives lead to EPA-approximated 13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway scores, placing the RS Q8 on par with the relaxation of its competitive set. I observed 13.1 mpg through a 7 days of screening.

Dialed-up dynamics

From a overall performance standpoint, the RS Q8’s dealing with chops are its most impressive attribute. To aid this 5,490-pounder hustler more challenging it can be acquired a rear-biased all-wheel-drive program, torque-vectoring rear differential, air suspension, all-wheel steering, active anti-roll bars and upgraded 23-inch Y-spoke wheels with 295/35 collection tires (22-inchers come normal).

Put the Audi Drive Choose program into its Dynamic environment and the RS Q8 hunkers down and hangs on tight all around cloverleaf on-ramps. Credit history the tires’ major ol’ speak to patches and all the overall performance features’ technological wizardry for all the grip and composure this crossover reveals when pushed tough. Obtaining the RS Q8 sloppy on the road necessitates caning it way more challenging than you responsibly need to. 

Instilling even a lot more self-confidence behind the wheel are the aforementioned carbon ceramic brakes. The $nine,000 alternative usually means there are 10-piston calipers clamping down on monstrous 17.three-inch rotors up front and still-darn-major 14.6-inch rotors with one-piston calipers all around again. Like all the things else, pressing down on the still left pedal doesn’t generate insane original bite, permitting for easy brake programs. A very little a lot more stress unlocks the major halting muscle mass when you want to go deeper into brake zones or perform panic stops.

In ordinary Audi vogue, evenly weighted steering is a sticking place in Dynamic. I choose getting a touch a lot more heft in the wheel, but I have no complaints about the steering’s responses. That’s not to say there usually are not occasions when the light steering is useful — when you set the car in Convenience manner for ordinary commuting, for example. Talking of commuting, the RS Q8 does wonderful in this article, with the adaptive dampers taking the edge off all but the most important roadway dangers. In addition to the fantastic grip they supply, the major Continental tires are entitled to kudos for their lack of sounds rolling down the road. 

RS fashion and tech

This RS Q8 painted Daytona Grey Pearl with its added optional styling goodies is unquestionably a looker. The alterations to the RS over normal Q8 versions usually are not super drastic, with a lot more intense bumpers, honeycomb grille inserts, oval exhaust strategies and slicker wheels. Insert in a generous carbon fiber diet program on the front lip, grille encompass, mirror caps, tailgate trim and rear bumper valance, and blacked-out information sprinkled about give the RS Q8 a reduced-important, but still sinister vibe.

Head inside of the RS Q8 and the style is simplistic with heaps of straight lines. The front seats provide heaps of aid to hold riders in place with RS honeycomb accent stitching on the inserts. These chairs provide a therapeutic massage operate with 7 various kneading styles that I love.

Develop excellent in this Audi is 1st-level with heaps of superior-conclude components placed all through the cabin, like Alcantara on the headliner and door panels, matte carbon fiber dash trim and leather-based-wrapped and stitched surfaces for most of the major panels. If you might be fearful about the speedier roofline slicing into second-row headroom, do not be, simply because there is still adequate space for ordinary grownups. Cargo space also is just not much too shabby with a wholesome 30.5 cubic feet on provide that grows to 60.seven cubic feet with the again seats folded.

Having care of infotainment in the RS Q8 is Audi’s MMI Contact Reaction program that is basically stellar. The twin-touchscreen set up has an 8.6-inch show on the base for local weather operate controls and a 10.1-inch show up leading for points like the rockin’ 17-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio set up, navigation with Google Maps imagery, telephone functions and a Wi-Fi hotspot. It’s all intuitive to do the job by way of, offering quick responses to inputs and haptic feedback to let you know a command has been entered. The clean center console format is void of several tough controls, but it does keep a conventional volume knob, which is a quite good factor.

On the driver-guide engineering front, all RS Q8s get normal forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-location monitoring, rear-cross traffic warn, a 360-diploma camera and auto superior beams. A $1,750 Driver Help Deal adds a couple a lot more methods to this Audi’s arsenal like a fantastic adaptive cruise handle program, lane-hold guide, traffic signal recognition and a head-up show. 

How I’d spec it

This take a look at car is a very well-kitted-out RS Q8. It’s acquired the aforementioned $nine,000 carbon ceramic brakes, $4,500 carbon fiber exterior bits, $2,950 black outdoors trim and more substantial wheels, $1,750 Driver Help Deal, $595 paint task and $4,800 really worth of inside extras. On leading of all that, it also has a $750 Towing Deal enabling it to pull seven,seven-hundred kilos. Insert in a $1,095 spot cost and you get the not-so-unsubstantial $140,590 as-tested rate of this car.

For my perfect spec, I’d spring for the $595 Daytona Grey paint task and the $three,250 Black Optic Deal. On the inside of I require the massaging seats that are aspect of the $three,one hundred fifty Luxurious deal that also necessitates you to equip the $2,000 Government Deal that will get me gentle-close doors, the head-up show and acoustic glass. This pushes my Audi to a great $124,590, which is costly, but unquestionably a lot more palatable.

Radical family members wagon

Of the swoopy midsize overall performance SUVs offered now, the Audi RS Q8 is a standout in a number of types. I imagine exterior styling trumps the BMW X6 M, Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe and the Porsche Cayenne Coupe. The Audi also will get my vote for cabin style and engineering over the BMW, Mercedes and Porsche. It is just not, having said that, my winner in the overall performance column the Cayenne Turbo Coupe is a bit a lot more involving from behind the wheel.

In the conclude, though, the RS Q8 my leading choose. It’s a head-turner with a fantastic cabin, finest-in-class tech and delivers all the space and ease and comfort a family members need to fairly require. That’s ample to outweigh the considerably less psychological drive working experience, considering this car’s main objective is to be every day-pushed. But genuinely, none of these overall performance SUV-coupes are undesirable, all offering sub-4-second -to-60-mph occasions and physics-defying dealing with. Choose the 1 you like finest, and if it is just not the Audi, I am going to be in this article to remind you that yours doesn’t hold the Nürburgring report.