The Audi RS Q5 Is Back at the Nürburgring and It Brought a Sportback With It

When we last checked in on Audi Sport’s not-so-secret RS Q5 project, a prototype had been spotted testing with wide bodywork and what is expected to be more than 600 horsepower under the hood. Now Audi is back at the Nürburgring, and this time it has brought two versions of its upcoming performance SUV.

New spy shots show both the standard RS Q5 and RS Q5 Sportback undergoing testing on and around the Nürburgring. It will be the first time Audi has given the Q5 the full RS treatment, and apparently Audi Sport isn’t interested in doing things halfway.

The Sportback appears to be further along in development. Its prototype is already wearing what looks like a more representative rear bumper and exhaust arrangement, including the massive oval outlets that have become an RS trademark. Even so, some details still appear unfinished, suggesting Audi has more development work ahead before either model reaches showrooms.

Underneath all that camouflage should be some familiar hardware. The RS Q5 is expected to borrow heavily from the new RS 5, including its 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and electrified powertrain. That should put output comfortably beyond 600 horsepower, giving the RS Q5 the firepower necessary to compete with the quickest performance SUVs in its class.

More important than the number on the spec sheet will be what Audi Sport does with the rest of the package. The wider track, aggressive bodywork, upgraded brakes, suspension tuning, and Nürburgring testing suggest this will be much more than a Q5 with a powerful engine dropped under the hood.

Audi fans have waited a long time for an RS Q5. Now it appears they’ll get two of them, and judging by the pace of development, that wait is getting closer to ending.