The 2024 Dakar Rally is already upon us, and Audi will be hoping that its range-extending RS Q e-tron can improve on its debut performance in 2022, where Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist finished ninth in class.
It’ll also be hoping that its involvement can sell a few road cars, because it has now revealed a special edition to celebrate the world’s toughest off-road rally.
Unfortunately, this isn’t some homologation-special RS Q e-tron with number plates. The ‘Edition Dakar’ is based on an Audi Q8 55 e-tron quattro, which (for those that haven’t got to grips with the ludicrous naming system) is Audi’s biggest electric SUV with a 106kWh battery and twin electric motors producing 402hp and 664Nm of torque.
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You won’t be surprised to hear that the powertrain has remained completely standard for the Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar, then. Audi says you’ll get 450km of range and a 0-100kph sprint of 5.9sec out of it, though, which seems acceptable.
And when you look at the Edition Dakar, you can see why the range has taken a hit from the standard car’s 480km+. The most obvious difference is the wheels, which are now 18 inches as standard and fitted with chunky General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tires. Oh, and the air suspension has been lifted, so—when combined with the taller tires—there’s 65mm more ground clearance than a standard Q8 e-tron. The track is also 57mm wider.
The roof rack is standard-fit for the Edition Dakar and can be loaded with 40kg worth of off-roading gubbins, and inside, you get the sporty S line interior paired with some branded special-edition floor mats. Special puddle lights, too, of course.
Other alterations from the standard car? Well, the central infotainment screen now has some sandy background images, and there’s a screen that will tell you the car’s current tilt angle, but other than that, it’s just a pretty normal electric SUV. No roll cage or motorsport-spec comms system here.
And sadly, there won’t be any decent colors available for the Edition Dakar, either. Audi says it will be available in black, white, or gray, and no matter which color you choose, the arches and the lower body sections will be painted black. Boring!
Just 1,000 examples will be built to begin with, and each Edition Dakar will cost (we hope you’re sitting down) €120,000 (around P8.46 million). Ouch. Although if you want to drop even more cash, there will also be the wrapped version that you see above, complete with RS Q e-tron style graphics. Just 99 of those will be built at a cost of €130,000 (P9.16 million).
But if you’re sat there thinking all of this is rather pointless and that none of the Edition Dakars will ever go off-road then perhaps it’s time to think again, because Audi has already let us loose in the desert in one.
More photos of the Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
