It’s easy to have high expectations when getting your hands on the “most” or “best” of something, though it’s typically not as easy to actually meet them. The 2025 Audi RSQ8 Performance isn’t just the automaker’s flagship, it’s also the most powerful internal combustion Audi Sport production car ever. Right off the bat, the expectations are quite high.

The recipe to cook up a high-po SUV isn’t complicated, and as we already know, everyone is doing it. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, you name it, they’ve all got multiple in their lineups—some quite good, and some not so much. Big engines, stiff suspensions, lowered ride heights, and mean faces give them big grunt and intimidating auras, but the biggest challenge with these family hot rods isn’t making them go fast. It’s making them do everything else well, too.

With 631 horsepower on tap, the RSQ8 Performance definitely has the goodies to go fast, but what about all the other boxes an SUV needs to check? Is it comfortable? Is it family-friendly? And this being an Audi, can it masquerade as a Le Mans-winning race car? OK, maybe the last one is a bit far-fetched, but in the end, being the flagship and the most powerful combustion Audi means you gotta have the skills to pay the bills.

What’s New?

For 2025, Audi is splitting the RSQ8 into two models, the new range-topping RSQ8 Performance and the, well, just RSQ8. Like BMW’s Competition and Mercedes-AMG’s S trims, Audi is essentially creating a feistier, more expensive version of its highest-performing SUV, and the Performance version is the one I drove and will be focusing on in this review.

The RSQ8 Performance separates itself from its lesser sibling with various exterior and interior tweaks, but what matters are the amped-up performance credentials. Under the hood lies a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine which produces 631 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, and is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Quattro all-wheel drive and an optimized self-locking center differential distribute power to all four corners, while the updated 23-inch wheels are now “considerably” lighter and feature a similar design to the beloved RS6’s wheels. Four-wheel steering and adaptive air suspension are standard, as well as carbon ceramic brakes which Audi claims cuts rotating mass in half.

An RS sport exhaust has also been updated for better performance and sound, mostly by reducing back pressure and weight. This is further enhanced by reduced insulation in the front and back of the car, delivering a more engaging driving experience. For what it’s worth, my fear that this would create an obnoxious driving experience did not come true, so that’s a win in the livability category.

When it comes to cosmetic bits, there are new bumpers front and rear—though the former you can hardly see because the front is essentially all grille. Speaking of, the grille mesh sports a new 3D honeycomb pattern, while the bezel around it is like a hexagon-octagon mashup finished in matte carbon. This finish also adorns the trunk lid, side mirrors, and rear diffuser.

Driving Experience

One way or another, all roads around the dramatic Montserrat mountain outside of Barcelona lead to the top. At least that’s what a local told me before I hopped in the RSQ8 Performance for my first taste of the super SUV. It seemed that way, as the windy and narrow lanes up the mountain were cluttered with locals, tourists, and even worse, coach buses heading to the famous mountaintop monastery at a snail’s pace. I may have been working the wheel while navigating a dozen hairpins but did not exceed 25 mph for what seemed like forever. Like a real blessing from above, however, that completely changed as soon as I reached the summit and was gifted some of the best driving roads I’ve experienced in Europe—and even better, there wasn’t a single car around.

I was so high up in the mountains that I couldn’t tell where the early-morning fog ended and the clouds began, but that poor visibility afforded me a relatively chill time with the Audi on Comfort mode before exploring Dynamic and RS. It also provided a pretty cool backdrop for photos.

My first impression was that the RSQ8 Performance felt, er, normal? If there were 600-plus ponies under the hood, the chillest driving mode was doing a great job hiding them. While the suspension felt firm, the car never felt like a vicious dog on a chain waiting to be let loose. Moreover, the steering felt light and provided enough feedback to reassure me that I wasn’t going to put a wheel wrong and go over the cliff to my right. So, that was nice.

The chassis was like that of a tank (I’d imagine) and that’s exactly what the RSQ8 Performance looked like next to most Euro compact cars. And the cabin, despite the “reduced insulation” felt like a hermetically sealed room that cocooned me from the elements.

With the fog lifted, clouds parted, and traffic gone, I selected Dynamic mode and commanded the SUV to switch personas. At the push of a button, I no longer felt like I was driving a posh SUV to the supermarket but something much more sinister. See, in most high-performance machines, switching into sport mode is like becoming a more athletic version of yourself. Here, selecting Dynamic or RS mode is like putting on a Jason mask and seeing a red mist. As project manager Alwyn Watkins explained to me, the goal was to give it a full breadth of capabilities ranging from taking the kids to piano lessons to carving out roads through the Black Forest. Mission accomplished, sir.

Diving deep into corners felt easy thanks to the massive carbon ceramics and Pirelli P Zero 295/35 R23 tires. These brakes, by the way, were extremely grabby—like, sling-you-forward-and-hope-the-seatbelt-holds-you-in-place grabby. Turning into a blind corner was done confidently thanks to a communicative and reactive steering wheel while holding a steady line through it was facilitated by the phenomenal air suspension. The steering feel in most BMW M cars nowadays is sharp and precise but numb—the RSQ8 is all of the above, and the difference it makes when navigating unknown roads at a speedy pace is monumental. This effect pays even more dividends on the track.

Cue in the fast and flowy circuit of Castellolí where I got to explore the 5,500-pound SUV’s capabilities without fearing a crash with a clueless tourist or a wild boar—or both. There, I could wring out most of the engine’s power and really clamp down on the 15.5-inch front brakes. Exploring the upper end of the tachometer felt like surfing a tsunami on a miniature surfboard. Or at least what I imagine that would feel like—I’ve never surfed.

The torque is tremendous even when compared to a comparable EV, and it keeps going until you either chicken out or run out of road. In the case of Castellolí, that meant tackling Turn 1 at about 60 mph and feeling the adaptive suspension and electronic systems keep body roll in check. A fast, sweeping Turn 2 taken a bit quicker really worked the center diff as it put the power down while the car rotated at speed.

The tightest corner, a roughly 180-degree hairpin, put all of the above to the test, as well as my driving skills. The trick was to slow down the car from about 110 mph in a composed manner, fling it left into the corner, but quickly open wide to get the best acceleration out of the bend and rocket down the upcoming straight losing as little speed as possible.

Compared to the light and agile RS3 (which you can read my experience on the same track here), the RSQ8 Performance felt like conducting a freight train on a rollercoaster track. Complete overkill yet so capable. The SUV never skipped a beat, and despite it not technically being made for the track, it sure as hell could chew its way through one.

The Early Verdict

Knowing how many ounces of supercar and how many ounces of family-friendly SUV to add to the recipe for a car like this is a balancing act that many automakers fail at. They either build a softie that masquerades as a sports car, or a hardcore SUV that’s miserable to drive around town. The RSQ8 Performance isn’t the best in either of those areas, but of the 600-plus-hp SUVs I’ve driven, it’s the one that gets closest to the sweet spot. It’s not so much a wolf in sheep’s clothing as it is a sheep that can shapeshift into a wolf at a moment’s notice.

Yes, the suspension is a bit stiff even in its softest setting, and the overly grabby brakes are its biggest demerit. But if you compare it to, say, a BMW X5 M, the Audi is much more comfortable and practical, and its tech and ergonomics are lightyears ahead. Compare it to a Mercedes-AMG GLE, meanwhile, and the Audi could probably lap the Benz around Castellolí. It’s that sharp.

If you’re going to spend nearly $140,000 on a high-po SUV, you’re going to want it to be good at more than one thing because you’ll use it for more than one thing—that is, ultimately, the whole point of a high-po SUV. The 2025 Audi RSQ8 Performance delivers on all fronts.