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2020 Audi RS Q8 First Look: Is This the New Super-SUV benchmark?

We havent driven the 2020 Audi RS Q8 yet, but we can tell you its fast. As weve already reported , the RS Q8 is the fastest production SUV ever to have lapped the famed Nrburgring Nordschleife. Creating a hulking sport ute capable of running with supercars on the worlds most challenging racetrack is arguably not the most efficient use of automotive engineering resources, especially as few RS Q8s are ever likely to be pinballing from apex to apex on the run down the Fuchsrhre. But for Audi Sport execs its a proof point validating the RS Q8s place at the top of a dramatically expanded Audi RS lineup. First, the numbers: 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque from 2,200 rpm to 4,500 rpm; 0-60 mph in less than 3.8 seconds and 0-124 mph in 13.7 seconds; top speed of 155 mph, unless you order the optional Dynamic package, which unbolts the stable door on the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and allows those ponies to stampede the big Audi all the way to 190 mph. Yep, its hella quick for a 5,291-lb SUV. The RS Q8 is the sixth new or upgraded RS model launched this year. It shares a lot of hardware with the redesigned RS 6 Avant and RS 7: the gut-rumbling mild-hybrid V-8 under the hood, the eight-speed automatic transmission, the brakes, and more. As in the RS 6 Avant and RS 7, the powertrains 48V belt alternator starter system harvests and stores up to 12kW of electrical energy, enabling stop/start operation at speeds of up to 14 mph, and coasting for up to 40 seconds with the engine shut down at speeds between 35 mph and 100 mph if the driver lifts off the throttle. The belt alternator starter instantly spins up the engine up when more power is needed, and, combined with a cylinder deactivation system that shuts down cylinders two, three, five, and eight, helps improve fuel efficiency at cruising speeds. A mechanical center differential delivers a 40/60 front to rear torque split under normal conditions, but if slip is detected it will automatically funnel up to 70 percent of the twist action to the front wheels, and up to 85 percent to the rears. Standard brakes are steel, with 16.5-inch rotors up front, and 14.6-inch units at the rear. Carbon-ceramic brakes are available as an option, with the choice of red, gray, or blue calipers. These massive stoppersthe front rotors are 17.3 inches in diameter, clamped by 10-piston calipers, and the rears 14.6-inchesalso reduce total unsprung weight by a hefty 75 pounds. Rear-wheel steering is standard on the RS Q8 to improve agility on a vehicle with a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase than either the RS 6 Avant or RS 7. The wheels steer outwards up to 5 degrees at low speeds in the twisties and inwards up to 1.5 degrees to improve stability during fast lane changes. Though a road warrior, the RS Q8 nods to the SUV format with adaptive air suspension that includes a high-riding off-road setting. However, with giant 22-inch alloy wheels and low-profile 295/40 tires as standard equipment (23-inch wheels, shod with 295/35 Pirelli P Zero tires, are optional) this Audi is strictly a soft-roader. The VW Groups 48V active anti-roll system, first seen on the Bentley Bentayga , is optional on the RS Q8, part of the Dynamic package that includes the derestricted powertrain, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a quattro sport differential that enables active torque vectoring across the rear axle. The system features split anti-roll bars connected by compact electric motors that counteract the twisting action of the bars during cornering. When driving straight ahead the two halves of the stabilizer are decoupled to reduce body movement on uneven roads and increase ride comfort. An integrated part of the RS Q8s 48V electrical architecture, the system can also recover energy through the electric motors and feed it back to the battery. The standard Q8 is a handsome beast; the RS body hardware amps up the beastliness with an aggressive new front fascia that includes the now trademark RS honeycomb grille flanked by large vents, new trim around the wheel openings that widen the car 0.4 in up front and 0.2 in at the rear, and an RS-specific rear skirt with a diffuser clip in matt aluminum and oval tailpipes. A small spoiler at the trailing edge of the roof is claimed to provide modest downforce on the rear axle at speed. Inside, the RS Q8 follows the same formula as the RS 6 Avant and RS 7, overlaying Audis latest high-tech tech interior architecture with sporty touches, including sports seats trimmed in Nappa leather and Alcantara, and an RS sport leather steering wheel. Special RS displays in the Audi Virtual Cockpit and MMI display provide information on tire pressure, torque, output, temperature, lap times, and g-forces. The shift light display prompts the driver to upshift when the rev limit is reached, and the optional head-up display also offers several RS-specific graphics. Those who need a little post-purchase rationalization to justify buying a supercar disguised as an SUV can take comfort in the fact that, as in the regular Q8, the rear bench seat can be slid fore and aft to optimize load space or rear passenger legroom, and with the backrests folded, the luggage compartment holds up to 62 cu-ft. Powerful and (somewhat) practical, the Audi RS Q8 might well be the fastest production SUV to have lapped the Nrburgring Nordschleife. But until we get Randy Pobst to lap it at Laguna Seca we wont know for sure whether this Audi has what it takes to outpace the ridiculously potent Lamborghini Urus , by far the quickest SUV weve ever tested. Stay tuned for Best Drivers Car 2020, then. The Audi RS Q8 arrives in the U.S. the first half of next year. Pricing has yet to be announced. The post 2020 Audi RS Q8 First Look: Is This the New Super-SUV benchmark? appeared first on MotorTrend .

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/audi/q8/2020/2020-audi-rs-q8-first-look-review/

 

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