The Audi RS Q8 is a high-riding supercar
A memorable throwback came across my social media feed this week. Eight years ago this month, we organised an interesting gathering of four exotic, open-air performers for a shootout.
All were quite dazzling, of course, but there seemed to be a closer rivalry within the showdown between two contenders: the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracán, the two spiffy in Spyder form.
While the car with the raging bull on its nose offered the obvious visual flamboyance, it more or less matched the substance wielded by the four-ringed option as the two were largely identical underneath, down to the shared V10 power sources. The kicker was that the Audi cost about half as much.
The average buyer in this realm is not likely to rationalise decisions in such a way. If you want a Lamborghini and can afford it, the cheaper option is irrelevant. But for savvy purchasers who might want to fly under the radar and have some leftover change, Audi holds appeal for its low-key performance wares within the Volkswagen Group, viewed against the picks from Porsche and Lamborghini that share ingredients.
The Q8, particularly in S and RS iterations, is good proof of this. By now you know that the Volkswagen MLB platform underpins the model, in addition to products such as the Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus.
It is a proven architecture that has demonstrated versatility, served in a wide assortment of expressions, from plain vanilla (a cushy Touareg 3.0 TDI) to the fire-breathing V8 RS Q8 Performance we recently tested.
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