In 2018 Lamborghini brought out their SUV, the Urus which currently is their best-selling model. It is the brand’s second SUV since the crazy LM002 from the late 1980s. Lamborghini has nailed the Urus very well indeed. It looks exactly like the 2012 Urus Concept, which caused a huge stir and excitement for years. The original concept Urus had the Gallardo V10 5.2 engine in there but due to emissions and parts, this was changed to a 4.0 twin-turbo 641hp 627 lb-ft of torque V8 seen in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo models. The Urus stunned the world when launched back in 2018 and since then over 10,000 cars have been sold beating combined sales of the Huracan and the Aventador.
The RS Q8 on the other hand is one of Audi’s many SUVs. It is based on the gorgeous Q8 and it features the same engine as the Urus, a 4.0 twin-turbo V8 but it only pushes out 591hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. That is a lot less than the Urus but the price difference between the two is almost $100,000. Is it really worth paying an extra $100,000 for a car with 50 more horses and 37 more torques? The RS Q8 has been awaited ever since the launch of the Q8 back in 2018. The RS Q8 was finally launched in 2020, which is two years after the Urus.
The RS Q8 and the Urus share the same VW MLBevo SUV platform. Other cars that share that platform are the VW Touareg, the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, Audi A8, and the Audi E-Tron. The MLB Evo platform is a very commonly shared platform amongst VW Audi group cars which is great news for parts and servicing as it will be cheaper.
Now then here comes the big question. The RS Q8 or the Urus. Every person who reviews one of the two cars always asks this because they are so similar in everything but price. You may be thinking well a Lamborghini is a Lamborghini at the end of the day but are you willing to spend an almost extra $1000,000 upwards on a badge. Actually in fact nobody buys a base spec of the two so let’s compare them both at a full spec.
An RS Q8 at full spec maybe around $150,000. The reason why it is a “maybe” and not a definite is because there is an option to choose exclusive colors on your RS Q8 and they can range themselves into the tens of thousands of dollars. The top-spec RS Q8 then at a price of $150,000 is $50,000 cheaper than a base Urus. In a top-spec RS Q8, you get Bang and Olufsen stereo system, Carbon Ceramic Breaks, the exterior carbon pack, interior carbon pack, colored leather, extended leather, every single assist sensor possible, loads of tech and so much more.
A top-spec Urus will cost you way over $100,000 more. Is it really worth it then? You could essentially buy an RS Q8 top spec and have enough money left over to buy yourself a C8 Corvette and maybe some old classic of some sort.
Why Has Lamborghini Sold 10,000 Urus Models Then?
via: telegraph.co.uk
The simple answer is because it has a very large customer base who really want this thing. Somebody with an existing Lamborghini be it a Huracan or an Aventador needs to have a daily driver because you cannot daily drive a supercar. These people would usually have a Range Rover, a Cayenne, a Bentley, etc as a daily car. Now, these people are Lamborghini lovers, they love the brand to bits. Therefore, if Lamborghini brought out an SUV that could be used daily like the everyday car they already have at home, what are they likely to do?
Most have the money easily. Therefore, for them, it is a no-brainer to get a Urus to help feed their obsession with the Lamborghini brand. It is a perfect garage for them, two Lamborghini’s. One made them feel special enough but two that is a different planet. Forget price tags, you only live one life so why not? Most of these ten thousand customers thought this and there were some who thought one was not enough. So they ended up with two Urus models. How crazy is that?
The SUV game is huge right now. Every manufacturer needs to make an SUV in order to get sales and you will find that with most manufacturers nowadays that their current best-selling model is either an SUV or a Truck. For Lamborghini, the Urus was a no-brainer. It was easy to make since the platform was already there and they knew that it would sell amazingly well. The Urus shares a lot of components with Audi cars and it also uses a ZF gearbox, unlike the Huracan or Aventador which use Lamborghini’s own double-clutch system. The Urus does have a heavily re-worked engine but it still is quite similar to the one you see in other Audi or Porsche vehicles. It is a snarling engine with a beefy exhaust tone so it one hundred percent sounds like a Lamborghini. It also shifts with its 3.6 second 0-60 time and 190 mph top speed. Is this a supercar on stilts then? It even handles pretty well too with its AWD system.
The engine is great don’t get me wrong on that. The Urus too attracts a lot of attention. Probably more than any other SUV out there. It is not for those who want to keep a low profile as this at the end of the day is a Lamborghini. It has to have outrageous styling inside and out. It looks bulky, aggressive, and tough, and it’s a pretty good offroader too. No doubt the Urus makes you feel special when driving it and the badge well that speaks for itself.
The Urus is practical and well fun. If you’re after a more outrageous SUV that can still be used every day and has the power of a performance car doing a 0-60 in 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 190 mph, then the Urus is the car for you. It even has the largest carbon-ceramic brake discs ever fitted to a car. How insane is that?
Why Should You Buy an Audi RS Q8 Then?
picture via: motor1.com
Simply because it’s a whole lot cheaper and it offers the same as the Urus but just with a different badge. Sure the badge isn’t as prestigious as Lamborghini but not everyone really cares about that. The RS Q8 may have less power but it still shifts to 60 in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of also 190 mph. In real life, both of these cars will really feel as quick as each other and you won’t really notice that 0.2 of a second difference to 60 when accelerating.
The RS Q8 looks gorgeous in and out. It is very aggressive and compared to the standard Q8 it is a different car. It is wider, louder and so much angrier. Ther one to get is either the Vorsprung or Carbon black as they have the upgraded alloys. The standard alloys on both the Urus and RS Q8 kill the car.
The RS Q8 is more subtle. It will not get even half of the looks the Urus gets as lest face it, it mainly looks like a normal car compared to the Urus. Inside is the same story as the Urus is so much more exciting. The RS Q8 is more of a logical decision. It’s just as fast, more practical, and cheaper to maintain in terms of servicing, etc. The RS Q8 is essentially like an RS6 but in SUV form as it also has a mild 48-volt battery on board to assist the engine in terms of acceleration.
The RS Q8 is also solidly built. Interior quality is beyond brilliant. The same can be said about the Urus. The RS Q8 is cheaper though.
You should get an RS Q8 over the Urus mainly because it is better value for money. What are you missing out on? The RS Q8 still looks brilliant, it’s fast, it handles well on and off-road, it’s practical and it is very luxurious. Sure the four rings of Audi are not as prestigious as the raging bull from Lamborghini but either way who cares? It’s your car and it’s for your enjoyment at the end of the day therefore, if you are just after a fast V8 SUV that can be used every day and take on most sportscars then buy the RS Q8.
If you have the money and you want an SUV that feels more special, then the Urus is for you. You buy a Urus not because of it’s more expensive or anything. In fact, when buying a Urus the idea that you can have the same car cheaper just under a different badge does not come into play. The Lamborghini attracts a certain crowd and customer base who do not care whether it’s more expensive or not.
Featured image credits via: autoevolution.com