2023 Audi RS Q8 Review

The 2023 Audi RS Q8 is an ultra-high-performance midsize two-row luxury SUV. It is based on Audi's flagship Q8 and sits above the high-performance SQ8 SUV. You can tell them apart by the RS Q8's more aggressive styling, including a black front grille, oversized mesh air inlets and bright red brake calipers. It puts forth a fierce sporty look while not straying too far from its subdued corporate styling roots.

The Audi RS Q8 boasts a turbocharged V8 engine that pumps out 591 horsepower, considerably more than the SQ8's 500 hp. Audi says it will go from 0 to 60 mph in an impressive 3.7 seconds. It is considered a mild hybrid due to its 48-volt electrical system, which makes stops and starts smoother and slightly improves fuel economy. As fast as the RS Q8 is, it's the way the big Audi tackles a twisty road that is even more impressive. Thanks to all-wheel steering, the RS Q8 feels far more nimble than its size, and weight, would suggest, and it's an absolute hoot on a good stretch of tarmac.

Inside, the RS Q8 offers the same tech features and luxurious appointments available on the standard Q8 SUV, but with extra touches to signify its performance potential. There's an impressive array of standard equipment, and even though the RS Q8 sports a more cutdown profile than the more traditionally SUV-shaped Q8, there's a reasonable amount of passenger and cargo space inside.

Super SUVs aren't quite as rare as you might think, with similar offerings such as the BMW X6 M, Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe offering similar performance for similar money. If you want to go a bit further afield, Range Rover offers a stout version of its very traditional luxury off-roader, and if you want to go even faster, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Tesla Model X Plaid.

Audi packages the 2023 RS Q8 one way: well equipped. Everything is standard aside from a handful of stand-alone upgrades and option packages. A twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine (591 horsepower, 590 lb-ft of torque) lives under the hood, transferring its output to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.