Vacuum cleaner. Some people call electric cars vacuum cleaners. At Audi they say: ‘hold my beer’….
Some people jokingly call electric cars vacuum cleaners. At Audi they say: “Hold my beer.” This limited Q8 e-tron edition Dakar is exactly that: a vacuum cleaner.
Apparently there is someone within the board of the Volkswagen Group with a passion for off-road. Last year Porsche already launched the 911 Dakar and Lamborghini the Sterrato. Both are sports cars that, in addition to asphalt and curbstones, also suddenly like gravel and sand. An almost unlikely combination. This Q8 edition Dakar was fished from the same pond. Although the car itself has an SUV-like line and Quattro all-wheel drive, it is not a real off-road vehicle due to its weight alone. Moreover, the battery pack is closer to the ground than you would think based on its appearance. The basis is a Q8 55 e-tron. The exterior received a similar treatment to the Porsche 911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Sterrato. Roof racks and a roof rack are therefore standard.
Nothing has been changed to the drivetrain with two electric motors, nor to the 106-kWh battery pack, but the air suspension has changed even more. For example, the Dakar version is 65 mm higher, so it now has a ground clearance of 22 cm and a wading depth of 30 cm. The air suspension was given an extra setting for off-road driving, which extends the springs by an additional 30 mm.
Rough tires
We try out the car where it is intended for: in the wasteland, in the dust, on the stones. The most important thing off-road are the tires. They make the most direct contact with the surface, so the Editon Dakar comes on rugged General Grabber AT3 tires, which are suitable for surfaces such as sand, mud, gravel and snow. It takes some getting used to when you drive on a gravel road, but the special profile ensures that no rubbish remains in the grooves and you therefore have optimal grip. You feel that you don’t have full grip, but you do have very decent control. It slides slightly in bends, but with some minor steering corrections you can keep it on track.
What we haven’t done is drive on regular asphalt, so we haven’t experienced the gradual lowering of the car when driving straight on the regular road. At 85 km/h the first 15 mm of that extra 65 are removed, at 100 km/h another 17 mm and at 120 km/h another 13 mm.
Although these tires are suitable for use on normal roads, Audi supplies an extra set of summer tires on 20-inch wheels for the Dakar series.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl