In the old days, you would have bought an SUV if you were looking for practicality, a saloon if you wanted frills, and a sportscar if you wanted thrills. Nowadays you can get all three categories rolled into one; the only caveat is that you'll need the means to reach the summit of the SUV market. Offerings like the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga Speed, Maserati Levante Trofeo and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid have radically redefined the capabilities of the utilitarian SUV. Yet, while each seems very different from the outset, three of the four actually come from a single stable, the VW Group, sharing the same platform and the same meaty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. And now the group has added one more rival to the gang in the shape of the Audi RS Q8.
So who is going to buy it? Having spent a couple of days thrashing one around the Canary Islands, I can tell you the answer is someone who wants the very best of what Audi has to offer but who'd prefer not to stand out too much in the local parking lot. It is also someone who values the peace of mind that comes from those famous four linked rings on the bonnet. After all, the RS Q8 had already clocked up 1.2 million kilometres of testing before it even hit a showroom floor; that is the same as going to the moon and back, twice. No one else in this rarefied group has gone to such lengths in the pursuit of reliability.
The RS Q8 is not just Audi's halo 4x4, it is the pinnacle of the RS range. I simply don't fancy the flashiness of the Urus, the ugliness of the Bentayga, the familiarity of the Cayenne, or the compromise of the Levante. But I do want the dynamism of the Urus, the interior of the Bentayga, the rock-solid engineering of the Cayenne and the Levante's thrilling engine. Think of the RS Q8, then, as the sleeper of ultra-high-performance SUVs, or better yet, a Urus without the bull. Its proportions are very balanced for an SUV, even if the optional 23-inch wheels feel as though they are over-compensating for something.
Under the bonnet sits, you guessed it, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. This one knocks out 592bhp and 800Nm of torque, leaving the Audi 34 horses shy of the Bentley, which itself has 15 fewer than the Lamborghini. It uses 48-volt mild-hybrid technology that smooths the stop-start system and enables a trick electromechanical active roll stabilisation setup, which does an outstanding job of curbing body roll through corners. Find the right piece of road and the RS Q8 will complete the dash to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. A cylinder-deactivation system halves output when cruising, helping it return a combined 12.1 l/100 km, impressive for a 600-horsepower car.
Audi got one of their Le Mans Series drivers to lap the Nordschleife and he posted a time of 7 minutes and 42.2 seconds, the fastest ever recorded by an SUV at the Nürburgring, quicker even than a Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 and a Porsche 997 GT3 RS. Inside, comfortable seats, a dual-touchscreen MMI infotainment system, excellent sound insulation and a standard panoramic roof make it feel like a high-rise A8. A little RS button on the wheel lets you tailor engine, transmission, air suspension, all-wheel steering, sound, differential and traction; Audi suggests reserving the relaxed settings for RS1 and a more aggressive mindset for RS2.
Under RS2 mode, this car is mind-boggling. Given its 2,315kg mass and elevated driving position, you would expect it to drive like an SUV. It doesn't. Clever suspension keeps it neutral and flat at all times, while rear-wheel steering lends it a dynamism you would never expect. Fling it into a corner and it will somehow make it out the other side without getting lairy; it is ridiculously good at eating up swift esses. Sure, your passengers will hate you, and may well throw up on you, but the bottom line is that the RS Q8 is a mighty capable all-rounder, and a wolf in sheep's clothing.
