- The Dakar Rally begins January 5, and Audi has just revealed a special version of the Q8 e-tron electric luxury SUV ahead of the race.
- Dubbed the “Q8 e-tron edition Dakar,” it wears General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tires, adding 1.2 inches of ground clearance, plus a roof rack.
- The special edition can also be spec’d with a decal package inspired by the RS Q e-tron Dakar rally car, but the model isn’t being offered in the U.S.
Each year, hundreds of brave competitors take to Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter—a 250,000-square-mile expanse of sand dunes in the Arabian Desert—in an array of bikes, cars, and trucks for the Dakar Rally. The two-week event is one of the most grueling in the motorsport world. Audi joined the race in 2022 and 2023 as a factory team with the gnarly RS Q e-tron hybrid. Now, as the start of the 2024 running nears, Audi is celebrating the rally with the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar, a beefed-up version of the brand’s largest electric SUV.
The Dakar-inspired model starts with the Q8 55 e-tron, the standard model sold in the United States, which produces up to 402 horsepower in Sport mode. A 106.0-kWh battery supplies the dual-motor powertrain with energy. While the motors are unchanged, Audi fitted this special Q8 e-tron with General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tires, resulting in a 1.2-inch-higher ground clearance. Audi says the SUV has an approach angle of 20 degrees and a departure angle of 26 degrees.
Audi also states that the air suspension has been reprogrammed for better off-road performance, and claims that the electric crossover has a wading depth of 11.8 inches. The beefier tires add one-tenth to the Q8 e-tron’s claimed 5.8-second 0-to-62-mph time, while the range drops from 362 miles to 303 miles on Europe’s WLTP test cycle. In the U.S., the Q8 e-tron is rated at 285 miles on a charge.
The edition Dakar is offered in desert-appropriate Siam Beige metallic paint, as well as black and gray. The grille trim is body-colored, while the wheel arches and lower body trim are painted black. Projection lamps display “edition Dakar” on the road when the driver’s door is opened, and the model is also being offered with a decal package inspired by the livery on the RS Q e-tron. However, the wrap can only be applied on vehicles painted Mythos Black metallic, and the decal package will only be applied to 99 examples.
Other goodies on the Q8 e-tron edition Dakar include tinted sun visors and a standard roof rack that can carry up to 88 pounds and comes with a bag and straps. The cabin comes standard with the S line interior package, which brings sports seats, stainless steel pedals, and a leather steering wheel. Red stitching and seatbelts can also be added. The digital gauge cluster also shows three special “scenes” for the Dakar, displaying a desert thunderstorm, tire tracks, or dunes.
The Q8 e-tron edition Dakar won’t be offered in the United States, an Audi representative confirmed to Car and Driver. Over in Europe, orders will open in the first quarter of this year, with prices in Germany starting at the equivalent of roughly $131,000.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.