The 4-liter V8 in the new Audi RS Q8 delivers impressive RS performance – 600HP, 800Nm of torque between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm. The turbocharged gasoline engine with direct injection accelerates the large SUV coupe from Audi Sport GmbH from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.8 seconds and to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) in 13.7 seconds.

The 250 km/h (155.3 mph) top speed is electronically governed. With the optional dynamic package, top speed is 305 km/h (189.5 mph). Prices in Germany for the sporty SUV coupe start at 127,000 euros for November 2019.

The biturbo V8 in the new RS Q8 combines maximum performance and high efficiency. Its mild-hybrid system (MHEV) is based on a 48-volt main electrical system. The core of the MHEV is a belt alternator-starter connected to the crankshaft.

During deceleration and braking, it can recover up to 12 kW of power and store it in the compact lithium-ion battery. If the driver takes their foot off the accelerator at a speed between 55 and 160 km/h (34.2 to 99.4 mph), the drive management selects one of two solutions depending on the driving situation and the current setting of the Audi drive select dynamic handling system: The new RS Q8 recuperates or coasts for up to 40 seconds with the engine off.

The belt alternator starter starts the engine within fractions of a second when the accelerator is actuated. MHEV technology allows for start/stop operation at a speed of up to 22 km/h (13.7 mph).

The mild-hybrid system is connected to the camera sensors for even greater efficiency. When stopped, the engine starts up while the brake pedal is still depressed as soon as the front camera detects that the vehicle in front of the new RS Q8 begins to move. Another efficiency module on board is the cylinder on demand (COD) system.

At low to intermediate load and rpm in the upper gears, it deactivates cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8 by switching off fuel injection and ignition and closing the intake and exhaust valves. The switching process takes just milliseconds, and is virtually imperceptible in the car.

During four-cylinder operation, the operating points of the active cylinders shift to higher loads and map points with high efficiency, while the deactivated cylinders run largely loss-free as gas springs. They are reactivated immediately when the driver presses the accelerator.

The power of the 4.0 TFSI flows to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system via the standard eight-speed tiptronic. Configured as a planetary gear, the purely mechanical center differential typically distributes the drive power in a 40:60 ratio to the front and rear axles.

In the event of slip, more drive torque automatically goes to the axle with the better traction. Up to 70 percent can be directed to the front wheels and up to 85 percent to the rear wheels. Wheel-selective torque control perfects the safe and agile handling of the new RS Q8. During dynamic cornering, the optional quattro sport differential distributes drive torque between the rear wheels as required. This active torque vectoring improves traction, stability and dynamics.

The five-link construction at the front and rear axles handle longitudinal and lateral forces separately. The linkages and the subframes are made largely of aluminum. The SUV coupe has a track of 1,692 millimeters (5.55 ft) up front and 1,696 millimeters (5.56 ft) at the rear. The standard adaptive air suspension sport with controlled damping means the new RS Q8 is equally at home on the racetrack or an offroad trail.

Its RS-specific damper tuning allows for a particularly broad spread between a setup biased toward comfort and an extremely sporty setup. Depending on driving situation and the driver’s wishes, the body’s ride height varies by up to 90 millimeters (3.5 in). The optional electromechanical active roll stabilization (EAWS) minimize body roll during fast cornering.

There is a compact electric motor between the two halves of the stabilizer on each of the two axles. When driving straight ahead, the two halves of the stabilizer are decoupled, which reduces body movement on uneven roads and also increases ride comfort. During cornering, however, the focus is on optimum roll compensation.

The halves of the stabilizer are twisted in opposite directions, which significantly reduces vehicle lean while cornering. The electromechanical active roll stabilization is integrated in the 48-volt main electrical system and serves as a recuperating system. It can even recover power via the electric motors and thereby feed electrical energy back to the battery.

With the optional dynamic package plus with the electronically governed top speed of 305 km/h (189.5 mph), customers also get a chassis designed for maximum sportiness. This includes electromechanical active roll stabilization, the quattro sport differential and the RS ceramic brake system.