1,000-HP Audi SQ8 Tears Time-Space With a World-Record 62–124 MPH Time of 5.41 Seconds

We are talking about Audi, who found a reliable high-performance-chasing ally in Poland, in the house of Power Division. The forced-induction wizards have been tuning Audis for a while now, and they are getting better with each model they put a wrench in. Their latest feat is a monstrous SQ8 powerhouse that set a new acceleration record for the world to try and beat.

Namely, the achievement raised the bar on the 100-200 kph (62-124 mph) sprint, with 5.41 seconds being the new goal for everyone else in the four-door SUV Coupe business. The traditional rating of 0-100 kph (62 mph) sits at 2.81 seconds – not too bad for a 2.5-ton (5,469-lb) posh hatchback on growth hormones.

Just to give you an idea of what a massive leap forward the Polish tuners have achieved, note that a standard run-of-the-mill SQ8 gets the same feats covered in a landslide-sized margin. The standing dash to 100 kph (62 mph) takes 3.7 seconds in the factory-built SQ8. It takes nearly three times as long to double that speed (some 14.4 seconds), so the Power Division-tuned example is quite the crowning achievement.

The above figures are valid for the 2022 Audi SQ8 model – the one that the speed demons from Poland have fiddled with extensively to get it to Thor’s hammer level or power and torque. Specifically, the numbers are as follows: twin-turbo four-liter horsepower - 1,061 hp (1,076 PS) / crankshaft twisting brute force – 926 lb-ft (1,256 Nm). That’s 800 hp / 811 PS at the wheels, and keep in mind this is a power-robbing Quattro, hence the 20% drop in crank vs. ground measurements.

The result is a land missile that crackles and roars with enough ferocity to shatter EVs back to the happy hunting grounds. Coolheaded German it may be, but don’t take that composed tenure for granted – when it's ‘Go’ time, the show is not at all over but barely opens.

The turbochargers are the first to get the much-needed upgrade – how else would someone up the stock power rating by 100%, from 500 hp (507 PS) to the aforementioned level? Similarly, the torque increased from 568 lb-ft, as per Ingolstadt engineers, to the newly-found enormity.

Naturally, getting new boosters requires a long list of ancillaries’ replacements: new high- and low-pressure fuel systems, high-flow exhaust manifold, front pipes and downpipes, high-performance air intake and intercoolers, oversized throttle inlets, a water-meth injection kit, and racing sparkplugs. Play the second video to catch a glimpse of what parts the mechanics from Power Division take out and, critically, what they replace those with.

To keep the thing on the ground and under control, carbon-ceramic brakes provide the stopping power, and an aero kit helps with splicing the air. All these Transformers-style powerplant garments are governed by a Stage 4 ECU (the Power Division signature computer brain).

All this is available for the modest price of 223,860 € (243,750 in Federal Reserve legal tender Geroge Washington portraits, as of December 2, 2023). But before you go online and buy one brand-new, under full warranty, click play below and enjoy the show.