It’s a short throw between Audi’s hot family wagons.
Yet, the 2020 Audi RS Q8 and RS 6 Avant are far apart in mission and execution. Despite their shared engines—a fire-breathing twin-turbo V-8 shared with Lamborghini and sourced from Porsche—the $113,995 RS Q8 and $109,995 RS 6 Avant are distant like the sun-drenched beaches and snow-capped mountaintops on the Spanish island of Tenerife off the coast of Africa. More than 50 degrees separate the air between two; the Audis are even further apart.
The Canary Islands’ impossibly long clouds; tall pines and palms; and purple, red, gold, and brown volcanic rock valleys are where I’ve been given the chance to dash the RS Q8 up a dormant volcano above the clouds and back down to soft, yellow sand in time for siesta.
The RS Q8 squats, screams, then springs toward the next curve with a violent but restrained holler every time….
