The Audi RS Q8 is the high-performance flagship of Audi’s Q8 SUV family and the first RS-badged version of the coupe-style luxury SUV. Audi introduced the nameplate for the 2020 model year, extending the Q8 line with an RS model that combined the brand’s everyday-use SUV concept with the more aggressive chassis tuning and visual identity associated with Audi Sport. It quickly became the halo SUV in the range and a showcase for how Audi translated its RS formula into a large, upscale utility vehicle.
The RS Q8 arrived as a single, continuous production run rather than an earlier model revived under the same name. Its original launch established the template that still defines the vehicle: a full-size performance SUV positioned above the SQ8, aimed at buyers who wanted the Q8’s design and practicality with a more focused, enthusiast-oriented character. In Audi’s lineup, it also marked an important step in expanding the RS brand beyond traditional sedans, wagons, and sports cars.
For 2024, Audi updated the RS Q8 and added the RS Q8 performance as a second, sharper variant at the top of the range. That refresh kept the RS Q8 nameplate in production while modernizing its styling and equipment. The RS Q8 therefore spans the early 2020s era as Audi’s most prominent RS SUV, blending luxury, long-distance usability, and performance in a package that has become one of the brand’s most recognizable high-performance utilities.