Brutal. The best adjective to define the Audi RS Q8 specially prepared by the Germans from MANHART. The sporty SUV of the brand with the four rings is dressed in a special carbon fiber package, which confers an extraordinary level of aggressiveness. In line with a mechanical part of true raw strength and power, which brings the MANHART RQ 900 to life.
The Audi RS Q8 The range of the manufacturer of the four rings culminates with a model that exudes exclusivity, in the form of luxury, power and performance. An SUV that rubs shoulders with the most select on the market and that holds a speed record on the Nürburgring circuit, one of the cradles of its development, and quickly dismissed. But, the Germans of MANHART have presented a new creation on this model.
The most powerful of the Q8 has passed through the workshops of Wuppertal to become the MANHART RQ 900, which is definitely a “neck breaker.” The first thing that stands out is the low height of the body to the ground, lowered between 30 and 40 millimeters thanks to a specific adjustment of the air suspension, mandatory to more safely digest the extra power flow. But it also does it for the exterior view, the body painted gloss black and exposed carbon fiber aerodynamic attachments, delimited by details in gold.
The MANHART RQ 900 sets the Audi RS Q8 to an unrivaled level
Like the calipers of the carbo-ceramic brakes. The width dimension has also been extended thanks to the new wheel panels and arches, the front spoiler, the new grille, the side skirts, the rear spoiler and the huge diffuser between the exhausts. Four tailpipes, each 100 millimeters in diameter, instead of the two large-diameter ovals that are common in Audi RSs, on the new stainless steel exhaust system.
Alloy wheels are 24 inches in diameter mounted on tires of different sizes on each axle: 295/30 ZR24 front and 355/25 ZR24 rear. Of course, the decorative gold decals dress the underside of the door panels, the tailgate, and the engine hood. Inside, the MANHART RQ 900 is lined andn leather with gold accent stitching as well as accent details of the dashboard, steering wheel spokes, door panels and the transmission tunnel. The steering wheel is also lined in Alcantara.
But if it is striking on the outside, the exclusive engine cover already anticipates something very wild: the powerful 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine, which develops a maximum power of 600 hp, and with which the 2.4-ton model reaches the 100 km / h in 3.8 seconds, it becomes brutal. A new intercooler, a carbon manifold and new high-performance turbos raise maximum power to 918 hp and maximum torque from 800 Nm to 1,180 Nm. The preparer has not given details of the benefits, for one detail: it does not meet the requirements of the German ITV.