The Audi RS Q8 is a rocket ship of a crossover SUV. It currently holds the lap record at the Nürburgring for a production SUV, bettering its more powerful Italian cousin, the Lamborghini Urus, by five seconds. But for all of its racetrack crushing pace, some might say the RS Q8 is lacking a little bit of wow factor. Luckily, that’s where famed Audi tuner ABT comes in, and it calls this creation the RS Q8-R.
To celebrate its 125th birthday, ABT is giving the RS Q8 a bit of a carbon-fiber filled makeover. The changes include adding bits of carbon fiber to the grille surround, front splitter, fender flares, rear window surround, and rear fascia. There are also little winglets at the top of the tailgate that are made from—you guessed it—carbon fiber. The car sits on massive 23-inch rims that completely fill the wheel arches.
To give the RS Q8-R a little bit more aural personality, ABT installed its custom exhaust system with tailpipes that measure a monstrous 4.7 inches in diameter—that’s huge. Inside, there’s even more carbon fiber—why not? There’s a carbon-fiber shifter cover, seat covers, and start-stop-switch-cap. There will also be unique badging on the center console and door sills to show that this RS Q8 is limited to just 125 units.
But don’t think this RS Q8-R is all show and no go. For a little extra performance, ABT tuned the car’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 from 591 hp and 591 lb-ft of torque to 690 horses and 649 lb-ft of twist. The only catch is you need 93 octane fuel to get those eye-popping numbers.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the RS Q8-R is not its performance or all the extra carbon-fiber bits, but the fact that ABT warranties its work for two years or 50,000 miles. We appreciate that sort of confidence.
