With a slew of new RS models from Audi, we’d been imagining what an RS 8 might look like. Turns out we weren’t alone.
The image above was created by an Audi fanboy, Cjoctavian, and posted on the Audi enthusiast site Fortitude. Let’s be straight: these are not leaked Audi images in any shape or form, but simply the creations of an Audi fanatic – but good ones at that, we might add.
What Cjoctavian has cleverly created is a rather stunning concept rendering of what an RS 8 might look like. He’s lowered the suspension 15mm, given it some RS 7 wheels, a striking bronze-like orange color, and replaced the gaudy chromed-out standard A8 grille with that of the iconic black honeycomb. Some side skirting and blacked-out LED headlights really bring the whole package together.
What might be under that powerful-looking hood is anyone’s guess. But we wager that if such a massive Audi powerhouse went into production, it’d surely feature the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter TFSI V8 that’s already used in the S8. Producing 520 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, the V8 has two major benefits over Audi’s W12 engine: weight and efficiency.
Why hasn’t Audi made such a wondrous thing yet? The S8 – with some bells and whistles – already clocks in around $120,000. Going much beyond that and Audi would be entering Bentley territory – its bespoke sister company.
We’ve long accused Bentleys of not looking quite as luxurious or exclusive as they are aimed to be. To us, Bentleys just look like big cars. For that money, we’d much rather have an extremely rare RS 8 with dynamic good looks and prodigious power.
Photo credit: Fortitude
