Audi RS Q8 to get 500kW hybrid V8

Audi's most powerful production car ever will be an SUV, says a new report that suggest the forthcoming 2019 RS Q8 will get a turbo V8 hybrid powertrain that will produce at least 500kW/850Nm.

That should be enough to launch the Q8 to 100km/h, from rest, in less than 4.0 seconds and onto a top speed exceeding 300km/h.

Created to rival the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 and forthcoming Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, according to Autocar, the Audi will use a development of the Porsche SUV's advanced powertrain.

If true, that means the fast Audi SUV will combine a 404kW/770Nm twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with a small electric motor that generates 100kW/400Nm and channel its towering 500kW/850Nm through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.

Producing more power and torque than the punchiest Audi R8 V10 Plus, despite being almost as quick as its supercar sibling, the RS Q8 will come with a plug-in capability and a pure-electric range of more than 50km.

To cope with the power, the RS Q8 will get an Audi Sport-tuned air suspension, a mechanical torque-vectoring differentials and an additional diff.

In the standard Q8, engineers don't think the car maker's 48-volt active anti-roll bars are necessary, as a combination of the regular car's stiffer suspension and a lower roofline both do a good enough job at curbing body lean.

For the RS version, expect Audi Sport to reverse that decision and offer it for flatter high-speed cornering.

Finally, the German car maker's performance division will also re-tune the Q8's four-wheel steering to make the SUV even more agile.

When launched, the Brit mag suggest the Audi RS Q8 will be the fastest SUV in the Volkswagen Group and be even quicker than the Lamborghini Urus, although that will change when the famous Italian sports car maker chooses to roll out even faster versions of its SUV.