Photo: SB-Medien
After a search of the German Patent Office website, we've discovered that as of August 1st, Audi owns two patents for the RS Q8 name. In other news, rich people like expensive cars!
The RS Q8 was rumored to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2017... and it kind of was. Instead of calling it an RS, Audi chose to emphasize its new division and called it the Q8 Sport instead. But it had the trademark mirror caps and honeycomb mesh grille of an RS model, sharing some features with the new RS5 Coupe. You Say 'tomato,' I say 'tomato'!
Unlike previous Audi models, we discovered via patents, there's no logo. It could just be a case of marketing jitters from the Germans instead of clear production intentions.
The head of Audi Sport, Stephan Winkelmann, has previously hinted that the production version of the Q8 Sport concept would be sold all over the world, unlike the SQ7 which is largely limited to Europe due to its 4.0 TDI engine.
Speaking of which, it's pretty clear what kind of engine will power the biggest RS SUV: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 of the Porsche Panamera Turbo variety. Roughly the same engine will also motivate the Lamborghini Urus. The fact that they didn't stick the 8-cylinder under the hood of any Q7 model suggests they were saving it for something special.
While the 4.0-liter is the most likely powertrain, it's not the only possibility. Let's remember that Q8 Sport concept offered 476 HP from a combination of twin-turbo V6, an e-charger, and electric motor.
If we're to call this an e-tron, then there's another rumor worth looking into: the supposed S8 e-tron which is said to replace the S8 plus and borrow the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid's monster setup. Why would that offer than in an S8 and not their attention-grabbing flagship SUV?
Unlike previous Audi models, we discovered via patents, there's no logo. It could just be a case of marketing jitters from the Germans instead of clear production intentions.
The head of Audi Sport, Stephan Winkelmann, has previously hinted that the production version of the Q8 Sport concept would be sold all over the world, unlike the SQ7 which is largely limited to Europe due to its 4.0 TDI engine.
Speaking of which, it's pretty clear what kind of engine will power the biggest RS SUV: a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 of the Porsche Panamera Turbo variety. Roughly the same engine will also motivate the Lamborghini Urus. The fact that they didn't stick the 8-cylinder under the hood of any Q7 model suggests they were saving it for something special.
While the 4.0-liter is the most likely powertrain, it's not the only possibility. Let's remember that Q8 Sport concept offered 476 HP from a combination of twin-turbo V6, an e-charger, and electric motor.
If we're to call this an e-tron, then there's another rumor worth looking into: the supposed S8 e-tron which is said to replace the S8 plus and borrow the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid's monster setup. Why would that offer than in an S8 and not their attention-grabbing flagship SUV?
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