The New Audi Q8 Is the Marque’s Most Powerful SUV Yet
Audi continues to raise the bar for itself.
A week after unveiling its most powerful model yet, the 912-hp RS E-Tron GT Performance, the German automaker has pulled back the curtain on its most powerful SUV ever, the RS Q8 Performance. Thanks to a big power boost, the 2025 model is now a match for the vehicle’s sporty cousin, the Lamborghini Urus.
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The RS Q8 Performance is part of the Q8 refresh that began last fall. It and the regular RS Q8 come standard with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and Quattro all wheel drive. The difference between the two is the RS Q8 Performance’s new exhaust system, which boosts output from an already respectable 591 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque to a whopping 631 hp and 627 ft lbs of torque. That performance boost not only makes the model Audi’s most powerful SUV, but its most powerful purely gas-powered vehicle as well (even the second-gen R8 supercar). It also finally puts the RS Q8 in the same neighborhood as the Urus, the non-hybrid version of which produces 657 horses (though the new electrified version of the Raging Bull ups that to 789 horses).
Thanks to all that extra oomph Audi says the RS Q8 Performance will be able to sprint from zero to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 190 mph. It’s also an even stronger performer on the track, with the marque claiming the vehicle was able to circle the Nürburgring Nordschleife in just 7:36.69 seconds, making it the fastest production SUV in the notorious track’s history.
The full-size model, which was already the most athletic member of the brand’s range of SUVs, has been treated to the subtlest of makeovers. The biggest difference is a revised front end, which includes a three-dimensional honeycomb-style grille with a more prominent bezel, along with some model-specific matte grey accents. The lighting package has also been tweaked, with Matrix LED headlamps and OLED taillights, the latter of which has a handful of selectable light signatures.
Things aren’t all that much different inside, either. Drivers can choose between the red or grey RS design package, which adds that color of contrast stitching to the perforated leather seats, center console, and floor mats. The steering wheel and shifter, meanwhile, are covered in Alcantara.
The RS Q8 Performance will go on sale in Europe later this month. The U.S. version is expected to follow later this year. We’ll have to wait for pricing information, but the European version will start at €155,700 (or about $167,000).
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