Skip to main content

Would you guess that the 600-horsepower 2020 Audi RS Q8 is a hybrid?

Audi Sport announced plans to release six new models before the beginning of 2020, and it’s keeping its promise. The sixth and final addition to its 2019 range — unless it has a high-horsepower surprise in store — is the RS Q8, which made its debut alongside a sportier, Sportback-badged variant of the electric E-Tron SUV at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Recommended Videos

There’s not an inch of chrome on the RS Q8’s body, and that’s intentional. Frank Lamberty, one of the SUV’s exterior designers, explained Audi Sport looked at its racing programs when it rebooted its design language, and “sports cars don’t need chrome.” This philosophy also influenced the second-generation RS 7 Sportback, and the latest RS 6 Avant.

Stylists sent the Q8‘s chrome trim back to the parts bin, and replaced it with an array of glossy black accents. The grille and the lower part of the front bumper were designed specifically for the RS-badged model, while the back end gains an air diffuser and a pair of oval-shaped exhaust tips. Its 22-inch alloy wheels are the largest Audi has ever fitted as standard.

Sport seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel aside, the RS Q8’s interior looks a lot like the regular Q8’s until you turn on the ignition. Both come with a digital, driver-configurable instrument cluster, but the sportier variant’s has been redesigned, and it learned a few new tricks. It lets the driver time track runs, for example. The optional head-up display features RS-specific graphics, too. It puts key information (like a speedometer and a tachometer) right in the driver’s line of sight.

The excellent, dual-screen MMI Touch Response infotainment system remains. The top screen is the one used to access most of the software’s functions, like media and car settings as well as navigation. We like the ability to rearrange icons on the home screen, like on a smartphone or a tablet. The bottom screen replaces the HVAC controls to give the cabin a sleeker look, and handwriting recognition technology allows the front passengers to manually enter an address into the navigation.

Would you guess the RS Q8 is a hybrid? We wouldn’t, either, but the specifications sheet clearly lists a 48-volt mild hybrid system which works with cylinder-on-demand technology to improve the twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8’s fuel economy. The electrified part of the powertrain doesn’t inject more power into the driveline, but the RS Q8 doesn’t need it. Its eight-cylinder engine delivers 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. Hitting 62 mph from a stop takes 3.8 seconds, and it happily cruises at 189 mph.

Audi will begin delivering the RS Q8 in Germany during the first quarter of 2020. The high-power SUV carries a base price of 127,000 euros, a sum which represents approximately $140,000 at the current conversion rate. Pricing and availability for the American market will be released closer to its local introduction.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more