The Audi RS Q8 quattro performance is what happens when Audi takes a sensible family SUV and gives it the moral compass of a wrecking ball, but the discipline and control of an Olympic speed skater. It’s the latest flagship of Audi’s SUV range in South Africa and the most powerful series‑production combustion model Audi Sport GmbH has ever built – which is impressive, but also slightly terrifying. We spent seven delicious days driving it in and around Hermanus and Cape Town.
Audi RS Q8 Performance facts & figures
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Price (R) | R 3 266 100 |
| Engine | 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol MHEV |
| Power | 471 kW |
| Torque | 850 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h | 3.6 sec |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h (opt 305 km/h) |
| Transmission | 8-speed Tiptronic automatic |
| Drive | All-wheel drive (quattro) |
| Fuel Economy | 12.2 L/100 km (claimed) |
| Maintenance plan | 5-year / 100 000 km |
| Rivals | Lamborghini Urus SE, Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, BMW XM Label |
Styling
The Glacier White Metallic RS Q8, kitted out in the Black Styling package plus, can't help but make an entrance, even if it's just rocking up at school to pick up kids, thanks to the engine's hell-hound soundtrack.
The coupé-SUV silhouette remains instantly recognisable, but Audi Sport has cranked every element to 11: a bolder front apron with massive air intakes, a striking three-dimensional honeycomb Singleframe grille, a matt-grey blade splitter, and signature oval RS tailpipes framed by a distinctive diffuser with integrated reflector.
Read our Q8 launch review here.
The stance is pure top‑of‑the‑range: wider arches, 23‑inch 6‑Y‑twin-spoke Gloss-Black Metallic wheels with red callipers and Performance SUV Pirelli tyres that wouldn’t look out of place in a GT paddock. Matrix LED headlights with selectable digital daytime running light signatures, including an RS-exclusive chequered-flag graphic, paired with OLED rear lights featuring proximity alerts, transform every lock and unlock into a dramatic light show. It’s all very dramatic, very Audi Sport – and about as low‑key as Sydney Sweeney in a red halterneck dress. This is not a car for wallflowers. And forget about dodging the self-appointed car guards!
Interior
Inside, it’s peak modern Audi Q8, just with the volume knob twisted to “RS”
You sit behind a crisp Audi Virtual Cockpit with RS‑specific performance layouts, flanked by twin central touchscreens handling infotainment and vehicle functions in that clean, horizontal architecture.
Related: Is there such a thing as too much? (RS Q8 2021 Review)
The driving position is spot‑on, the RS sport seats are properly supportive, and the overall ambience is sportily opulent. The RS design packages let you dial in contrast stitching on the seats, steering wheel, centre‑console blade, floor mats and even the seat‑belt edges; I would call it 'athluxury'. The panoramic sunroof is another no-cost highlight, and Audi SA also specified the sun-protection tinted glass at R10k.
The imitation carbon‑fibre trim inserts are a bit of a letdown, but it's a minor detail. The reflective surfaces, brushed chrome, embossed leather trim, and striking ambient lighting make up for it.
Space and Comfort
The RS Q8 sticks with two rows of seats – but they’re generous. There’s plenty of head‑ and legroom in the front, loads of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, and rear passengers enjoy a sliding, reclining bench with more legroom than they'd know what to do with. Their fold-down armrest has snazzy pop-up cup holders for discerning tastes.
Second-row occupants also have their very own multifunctional climate control and seat-heating settings, along with electric sun shades to prevent premature ageing. The fortunate driver and his front passenger can enjoy heated/ ventilated seats and simultaneous massages. The cabin is 4-way climate-controlled.
The boot easily swallows family luggage, golf bags or the spoils of a V&A Waterfront/Hyde Park shopping session. Split‑folding rear seats and an electric tailgate keep the basics fuss‑free, so everyday practicality is exactly what you expect from a full‑size luxury SUV.
The Drive
Under the bonnet lives a 4.0‑litre twin‑turbo V8 developing 471 kW and 850 Nm. Out on the open road, the RS Q8 performance feels like someone has fast‑forwarded reality.
Power surges through an 8-speed Tiptronic to a sport-calibrated quattro system with a mechanical self-locking centre differential. It defaults to a rear-biased 40:60 split, dynamically shifting up to 70% to the front or 85% to the rear for optimal grip in any scenario.
The headline number is 0–100 km/h in a claimed 3.6 seconds, which is brisk in any car, and borderline outrageous in something this big and tall. But the real party trick is how controlled it feels. RS‑tuned adaptive air suspension with up to 90 mm of ride‑height variation keeps body movements in check.
Tick the Dynamic Package Plus and you add electromechanical active roll stabilisation (eAWS), a quattro sport differential and a raised 305 km/h top speed, on top of standard RS ceramic brakes and all‑wheel steering. It’s the sort of chassis that turns a 2.3‑tonne SUV into a coupé that you can convincingly hustle around a mountain pass while your passengers wonder quietly if this is entirely sane.
Performance
Plant your right foot, and the RS Q8 performance hurtles the horizon towards you.
Thanks to quattro and that clever centre diff, you can deploy a frightening amount of that 471 kW and 850 Nm in less‑than‑perfect conditions.
You can live fast, but that doesn't mean you have to die young - there are assistance systems galore.
There’s enormous confidence in the way it digs in and goes, helped by the rear‑axle steering (up to 5 degrees opposite at low speed, 1.5 degrees in phase at higher speeds), keeping it agile in town and eerily stable when you’re changing lanes quickly on the highway. The danger is that it all feels so effortless you forget what you’re driving, which is where a healthy conscience and deep pockets for petrol come in.
Fuel Consumption
Audi will tell you about 48‑volt mild‑hybrid tech and cylinder‑on‑demand cleverness, and all of that is true and useful; it can coast with the engine off, and it will shut down half the cylinders under light load to save fuel.
But there’s only so much wizardry available when you’re moving a big, heavy SUV with a 4.0‑litre twin‑turbo V8 that also encourages you to misbehave. Don't expect consumption under 15 litres per 100 km in mixed driving conditions. Driving to Cape Town from Hermanus yielded 11, but in the city, things are rough at 16-19 L/100 km.
Safety
The RS Q8's performance comes with the full suite of Audi’s safety systems. Multiple airbags, quattro all‑wheel drive, a sophisticated stability‑control system, Audi remote connect emergency call, and those huge ceramic brakes are the starting point, while a myriad of semi-autonomous features take the edge off piloting something this quick and this wide through South African cities.
Price
The RS Q8 performance quattro tiptronic is priced at R3 266 100 before you’ve ticked a single option. Like the rest of the line‑up, it’s sold with a 5‑year/100 000 km Audi Freeway Plan as standard, which at least takes the sting out of the first few services while you’re trying not to think about tyres and fuel.
It’s a staggering amount of money, but it also buys you a staggering amount of car: Nürburgring‑record pace, proper luxury‑SUV space and the ability to do school runs, Karoo road trips and the odd track day in the same machine. Whether that counts as rational depends entirely on the depth of your pockets and the strength of your willpower.
The Verdict
The Audi RS Q8 quattro performance is the Green Hell SUV lap‑record holder and the loudest member of the new Q8 family – in every sense. It’s large, outrageous, extremely loud, hilariously fast and engineered with almost-obsessive detail.
But subtle it is not. If you’re happy living life at full volume and your bank account reflects this, though, this is one of the most complete and convincing ways to do it on four wheels.
