Page 61 - MotorTrend (March 2020)

Audi and Lamborghini also took There’s also a choice of optional
different directions in design. Think R8
versus Huracán, but with SUVs. The Urus
is a lithe wedge, whereas the RS Q8 carries brakes instead of the base steel binders.
a linebacker stance that indicates this was
always meant to come from a donor SUV.
Part of that muscularity comes from
carrying 0.4 inch more width at the front
wheels and 0.2 inch at the back compared
to a standard Q8. Any more width would
trigger serious angst driving in the
narrowed lanes of a construction zone.
Remember when folks thought 20-inch
wheels were extreme? Well, the base
rollers here are 22-inchers wrapped in
Hankook tires, which at a 295/40 profile
have the largest diameter of any tire ever
factory-installed on a production Audi.
even on tight, twisty roads the RS 6
doesn’t plow. Yay! Also yay: The dynamic
steering is a massive improvement over
all earlier versions.
Between the two suspensions, I think
the hydraulically linked dampers handle
better than the air suspension, but only
just. The air springs will allow for a bit of
off-roading as well as easier loading. You
can’t go wrong either way. The cars we
drove were Euro-spec cars—actual U.S.-
spec RS 6s will have louder exhausts.
I’m spoiled and jaded, but the RS 6
didn’t feel as maniacally, sadistically
quick as its natural competitor, the
Mercedes-AMG E 63 S wagon. Rest
What about Jonny Lieberman’s asser-
295/35ZR23s from Hankook or Conti-
nental that come with carbon-ceramic
Getting the 23s and the Dynamic Plus
package unleashes the governed top speed the RS 6 carries 440 pounds less weight.
up to 190 mph.
Inside, Virtual Cockpit is the latest
version, where the readouts for speed and
rpm can appear as numbers pushed to
the corners of the display, with a digital
panorama in the driver’s immediate field
of vision and down the center stack.
For maximum race effect, the seats
have integrated headrests and strong side
bolstering (with a choice of Nappa leather
and Alcantara, or Valcona leather). But
because an owner’s race is not at Laguna
Seca but to Laguna Beach, the seats also
feature multiple massage functions.
Once no longer held captive by your
kids’ audio demands, the 1,920-watt,
23-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo will
redefine how you hear music—even chest-
nuts like “Sultans of Swing.”
The RS Q8 will arrive at European deal-
erships in early 2020, starting at 127,000
euros (roughly $140,000). American
buyers will have to wait until into late
spring or early summer before its arrival
here, with pricing estimated at $130,000.
assured Audi will release a mightier
Performance version of the RS 6 that
should address this admittedly silly
complaint.
Final verdict: I love the thing. (Shocker, one is following the herd. RS 6 owners
I know.) High-performance wagons are
my favorite sort of car, and based on the
day I spent ripping around Malibu, I see
tion that the RS 6 is a better driver than
the RS Q8? “The RS 6 is sportier, with
a more performance base and a lower
center of gravity,” Barma admits, noting
Guess that’s one point for the wagon,
until you need to haul stuff. The RS Q8
has 30.5 cubic feet of hatch storage, 60.7
cubes if the second-row seats are down.
After all, you might have to stop at Costco
or your kids’ hockey practice on the way
back from your favorite drive. Q
2021 Audi RS Q8
BASE PRICE $130,000 (est)
VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD,
5-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE 4.0L/591-hp/590-lb-
ft twin-turbo DOHC
32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT 5,300 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE 118.0 in
LENGTH X WIDTH 197.3 x 86.2 x 67.2 in
X HEIGHT
0-62 MPH 3.8 sec (mfr)
EPA CITY/HWY/ Not yet rated
COMB FUEL ECON
ON SALE IN U.S. Late spring 2020
no reason why the RS 6 won’t take its
rightful place in the pantheon of long-
roofed greats, from Audi’s own RS 2 to
Cadillac’s near-divine CTS-V wagon.
Remember that, mechanically, the
RS 6 is identical to the heavier, slower,
uglier RS Q8. The RS 6 is, however,
exponentially cooler than any SUV.
#BecauseWagon. Yes, the RS Q8 will have
no trouble outselling the RS 6, but buying
will be in a discerning, secret club. Trust
me, you want in. Q
MARCH 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 61