The Audi Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar is a special EV SUV with chunky tyres

The 2024 Dakar Rally kicks off in a couple of days and Audi will be hoping that its range-extending RS Q e-tron can improve on its debut performance in 2022, where Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist finished ninth in class.

It’ll also be hoping that its involvement can sell a few road cars, because it has now revealed a special edition to celebrate the world’s toughest off-road rally. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t some homologation special RS Q e-tron with numberplates. The ‘Edition Dakar’ is based on a Q8 55 e-tron quattro, which (for those that haven’t got to grips with the ludicrous naming system) is Audi’s biggest electric SUV with a 106kWh battery and twin electric motors producing 402bhp and 490lb ft of torque. 

You won’t be surprised to hear that the powertrain has remained completely standard for the Q8 e-tron Edition Dakar, then. Audi reckons you’ll get 280 miles of range and a 0-62mph sprint of 5.9 seconds out of it though, which seems acceptable.

And when you look at the Edition Dakar, you can see why the range has taken a hit from the standard car’s 300+ miles. The most obvious difference is the wheels, which are now 18-inches as standard and are fitted with chunky General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres. Oh, and the air suspension has been lifted, so – when combined with the taller tyres – there’s 65 millimetres more ground clearance than a standard Q8 e-tron. The track is also 57mm wider.

The roof rack is standard fit for the Edition Dakar and can be loaded with 40kg worth of off-roading gubbins, and inside you get the sporty S line interior paired with some branded special edition floor mats. Special puddle lights too, of course.

Other alterations from the standard car? Well, the central infotainment screen now has some sandy background images and there’s a screen that will tell you the car’s current tilt angle, but other than that it’s just a pretty normal electric SUV. No roll cage or motorsport-spec comms system here.

And sadly, there won’t be any decent colours available for the Edition Dakar either. Audi says it will be available in black, white or grey, and no matter which colour you choose the arches and lower body sections will be painted black. Boring!

Just 1,000 examples will be built to begin with, and each Edition Dakar will cost (we hope you’re sitting down) €120,000. Ouch. Although if you want to drop even more cash, there will also be the wrapped version that you see above, complete with RS Q e-tron style graphics. Just 99 of those will be built at a cost of €130,000. Doesn’t look like it’ll be sold in the UK though – Audi has only confirmed sales in left-hand drive markets so far. 

But if you’re sat there thinking that all of this is rather pointless and that none of the Edition Dakars will ever go off-road then perhaps it’s time to think again, because Audi has already let us loose in the desert in one. Click these blue words for our prototype review…