The Audi RS Q8 is also the company’s quickest and most powerful SUV ever, however, tuners are constantly finding ways to extract even additional power to offer these speedy high-riding luxobarges some extra muscle. When ABT got its hands on Ingolstadt’s super SUV at the start of the year, it’s now Manhart’s turn to unlock the total potential of Audi’s cheaper Lamborghini urus alternative.
Less-expensive is probably not the best word to use since the Audi RS Q8 still costs $113,000 or $87,000 less than the raging bull on stilts. The tuners at Manhart are asking an eye-watering €280,000 for their heavily changed version and can only convert ten units to the RQ 900 specification. In exchange, they’ll give a wide body kit and a ventilated carbon fiber hood, with more of the light-weight material on the front spoiler lip, side skirts, wheel arch extensions, and therefore the rear diffuser.
A shiny new set of 23-inch alloy wheels with a double-spoke style is additionally a part of the deal, as is that the aftermarket exhaust system replacement Audi’s largest-ever oval tips with threatening quad setup. Manhart additionally fiddles with the suspension by lowering the ride height by 30 millimeters (1.18 inches). Inside, the OEM upholstery is replaced with the tuner’s own leather and Alcantara, whereas custom floor mats and gold accents rounding off the changes.
Needless to mention, the largest changes have occurred underneath the hood where the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 no longer produces the 592 HP (441 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque) out there in the standard RS Q8. It’s been taken to 887 H.P. (661 kW) and a mountain-moving 797 lb-ft (1,080 Nm) via larger turbos and different modifications to the engine. To cope with the additional grunt, Manhart has upgraded the eight-speed automatic transmission chargeable for sending all that power to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system.
While the tuner doesn’t say anything regarding the performance of its RQ 900 build, we’ll prompt you the stock Audi RS Q8 jumps to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.8 seconds and completes the 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) run in 13.7 seconds before maxing out at an electronically capped 189.5 mph (305 km/h). The healthy power bump should enable the flagship SUV to reach those speeds significantly faster, provided your bank accounts can handle it.
