Audi used the occasion of the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show to put on the world premieres of its Q8 Sport concept and RS 5 high-performance coupe. No details have as yet been forthcoming concerning the company’s plans and launch dates for these models in North America.
The ultimate Audi SUV
Compared with the Q8 revealed in Detroit this past January, the new Audi Q8 Sport concept is, as befits its name, even sportier. It features wider fenders and a long, roof-mounted rear spoiler, as well as distinctive, oval-shaped exhaust pipes.
Reaching for ever-higher levels of both prestige and ruggedness, the Q8 Sport innovates by combining a 3.0L TFSI V6 engine with an electric motor and electric-driven compressor, giving it a total power output 476 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. What’s more, it takes just 4.7 seconds to go from a stop to 100 km/h – an incredible feat for such a large SUV – and can go more than 1,200 km before requiring a stop at the pump.
Inside, Audi’s virtual cockpit includes a Head Up display boosted by intelligent augmented-reality technology.
BMW’s M4 better be ready!
After launching the new A5 and S5 over the past year, Audi completes its stunning triple play with the new RS 5, whose design was inspired by the racing details of the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO. The grille is different from Audi’s other coupes, the fenders are larger, and the back end is distinguished by a diffuser specific to RS models.
Its most distinctive feature, of course, remains the twin-turbocharged TFSI V6 engine, completely revamped in order to provide up to 450 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque (125 more than the previous RS 5). Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes just 3.9 seconds, aided by an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission that is calibrated for sportier driving and by the quattro all-wheel drive system that divvies up the torque in a 40/60 ratio.
