Audi Q8 spotted doing rounds of Nurburgring

Audi just recently confirmed the production plans of its upcoming flagship SUV, the Q8. The Q8 Concept debuted at the 2017 Detroit Motor Show. We have spotted the Q8 test mule undergoing winter testing before, and now our spy photographers have spied the Q8 tearing up the notorious Nurburgring.

The Q8 coupe-SUV, as the name suggests, will be positioned above the Q7. As seen in the images, the Q8 seems to be wider than the Q7, but it sits closer to the ground. The heavy camouflage doesn’t hide the coupe-like raked silhouette, with a large set of sporty wheels (the Q8 Concept had 23-inch wheels). The massive grille dominates the fascia which is strangely blacked-out on the test mule. Both the front and rear of the Q8 follow Audi’s new design philosophy which would be first introduced in the impending A8 flagship sedan.

Audi asserted at the Detroit show that the Q8 would be “more luxurious than any Audi before”. The Q8 will boast of Audi’s latest cabin design and technology with new gen Virtual Cockpit and hopefully more driving aids.

No details of the powertrain are available yet. The concept car at the Detroit stage had a plug-in hybrid powertrain. However, the test mule seems to be running on a conventional gasoline engine under the hood. A diesel mill and the e-tron variant is on the cards as well. The more potent Q8 RS will follow, with a powerful twin-turbo V8 which it shares with the Lamborghini Urus SUV.

The Q8 will hit the production line only next year, but we expect Audi to preview the production ready flagship at any major show late this year. The Q8 is Audi’s first plunge into the coupe-SUV body style and it will have its sight lined up against adversaries like BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Maserati Levante and its upcoming stable mate the Lamborghini Urus.