words: Bill, photos: MANHART Performance
“We turn good cars into very special cars.” This is what Christoph Erfurt, founder of MANHART Performance, says about his creations. Though known for their work on BMWs, they’ve turned to the Audi RS Q8 for their latest stunner. The RS Q8 has been the talk of the circuit after it recorded an official time of 7:42.2 around the Nurburgring, claiming fastest SUV around the ‘Ring.
MANHART massages the already potent 600hp biturbo V8 up to a whopping 900hp. They accomplish this through larger turbos, transmission upgrades, and extensive engine modifications. These are coupled with a brutal exhaust system and KW suspension upgrades.
The exterior has also been worked over; a carbon body kit which consists of a hood, front spoiler, diffuser, side skirts, and wheel arch extensions give the RQ 900 the beefy looks to go with the power upgrades. 21in Concave One aluminum wheels (either in matte black or gunmetal grey) complete the look. MANHART wouldn’t go through all this trouble without improving on the interior. The interior can be ordered with either red or gold accents.
While some may say that they get a Hertz Shelby-esque feeling about the looks of the RQ 900, I guarantee you that you won’t have the same feeling after driving one. It’s expected to be available in the spring for an additional €280,000 ($302,575USD) on top of the MSRP for an RS Q8. That’s a lot (understatement) but only 10 units will be available for the whole world.
