2025 Audi RS Q8 First Drive: Shock and Awe and Silliness

• The Audi RS Q8 gets a few updates for 2025.
• We'll only get the RS Q8 Performance trim in the U.S., powered by a 631-horsepower twin-turbo V8.
• On road and track alike, the big RS Q8 impresses.

A new face (if you can tell)

The RS Q8 gets a visual update for 2025, most notably up front. The grille surround is far more pronounced and finished in a contrasting dark gray, versus the all-blacked-out faces of other Audis. The headlights and taillights are redesigned, too, with a new menu of driver-selectable running light design choices.

Besides a new shift light indicator in the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and some exclusive color and trim combos, the RS Q8 interior carries over. That means it still has the controversial twin-screen infotainment setup, but the cabin is nevertheless spacious, and the back seat has abundant head- and legroom. If you were looking to bring along three helmeted 6-foot-tall friends with you to the track, you’re in luck.

Audi will sell two versions of the new RS Q8 globally: a standard version with last year’s engine specs and a new Performance model with the full-monty 631 hp. Here in the U.S., we’ll only be getting the Performance option. Oh darn.

How the chorizo is made

To squeeze those extra caballos out of the V8, Audi’s engineers increased the pressure of the turbochargers and fitted a new, lighter exhaust system. It also creates what Audi describes as a “more evocative sound,” though my test car is fitted with the optional RS sport exhaust that does the full rabble-rabble-rabble under braking. It sounds angry and a bit silly, which sure seems like the RS Q8’s whole vibe.

Otherwise, the RS Q8’s acceleration is almost EV-like in how immediately and ferociously the torque hits. It’s also louder — a whole heckuva lot louder — thanks to reduced sound-deadening material for this year.

The rear-biased Quattro all-wheel-drive system is fed by an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is somewhat reluctant to downshift when trying to pass a slower-moving car. You have to jam your foot hard into the little button at the end of normal accelerator travel to force a gear change. Perhaps putting the RS Q8 into Dynamic mode would help, but you shouldn’t have to do that in a 631-hp anything. On the track, the transmission even stutters at times while shifting from third to fourth while accelerating full-throttle out of a corner.

The big boy can dance

Since we get the Performance version, all American-market 2025 RS Q8s include the contents of a new Dynamic Package Plus that boasts plenty of exotic chassis upgrades. They include a ceramic brake system that delivers strong, fade-free stopping with a firm, confident pedal feel while lapping the track. These upgraded brakes remove a whopping 11 pounds of unsprung mass from each corner too.

A torque-vectoring differential is also part of this package, allowing the outside rear wheel to spin faster than the inside for better cornering poise. Finally, there’s an electromechanical active roll stabilization system, which in CliffsNotes terms uses the RS Q8’s 48-volt lithium-ion battery to power electric motors that reduce body roll through corners and increase stability in a straight line. I can’t say I really notice it working, which perhaps speaks to its effectiveness. The roll stability systems of other cars are far more overt in their physics defiance.

Rear-wheel steering is also standard on the RS Q8. Its 1.5 degrees of steering angle isn’t much, but it’s enough to combine with the torque-vectoring sport diff to minimize the SUV’s tendency to push through a corner and rotate all that mass without drawing undo attention to the trickery. As strange as it feels to drive this big, 5,500-pound SUV on a track, there’s no denying that it’s abundantly capable in this scenario.

The adaptive suspension’s Balanced setting is best for the surrounding Spanish mountain, as it helps to maintain greater compliance. (You can mix-match settings thanks to an RS Individual mode.) Between the firmer dampers and reduced ride height, Dynamic mode — something great for track use — is just unpleasant on public roads, although it must be said that the RS Q8’s comfort in other modes is impressive considering the new optional 23-inch wheels have a mere spackle of rubber between them and the pavement below. The RS 6 Avant pulls off a similar feat.

Speaking of the RS 6 Avant, now’s the time to say that the RS Q8’s wagon sibling is a far superior choice should you actually relish driving quickly in places like a mountain road or, especially, a track. It’s a hair quicker (since it weighs 600 pounds less), has a lower center of gravity, and doesn’t make you feel like you’re driving it from the second story. That the $137,495 RS Q8 costs $9,000 more and has virtually the same cargo capacity (30.5 cubic feet for the RS Q8 versus 30 cubes for the RS 6 Avant) speaks to a value advantage for the wagon, as well.

While it’s easy to see an RS 6 Avant owner seeking out winding roads or even a track day, it’s a lot harder to imagine it with the big RS Q8. Either way, it’s not like people who own exotic machinery need to take it to a track or the roads surrounding Montserrat to enjoy them. Knowing that it can do it is all that counts.