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Did Audi Really Build an RS 8? The One-Off Prototype Explained

Audi’s reported RS 8 was a one-off S8-based prototype built to investigate safety technology—not a production model. Here’s what was reported about its powertrain and unusual equipment.
Entry258 Date Time2 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Yes. Audi reportedly built one RS 8 prototype in 2013, but it was an experimental, S8-based test car—not a production model or a planned RS-badged A8 for sale. Automotive reports say its purpose was to investigate safety technology.

What was the Audi RS 8?

AUTO BILD and AUTO ZEITUNG report that Audi built a single RS 8 in 2013 using the contemporary, third-generation S8 as its basis. They describe it as an innovation vehicle: a one-off used to test safety systems, rather than a production car. The reports say it later appeared in an RS anniversary exhibition at Audi Forum Neckarsulm. That public display helped bring the little-known prototype to wider attention; its current display status is not established.

The distinction matters: the RS 8 was not an Audi model buyers could order. There is no production RS 8 lineup to compare with the S8, and the available reports do not establish that Audi intended to put one on sale.

What did the prototype reportedly have under the hood?

AUTO BILD’s 2019 report, with similar figures reported by AUTO ZEITUNG, describes a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 520 PS and 650 Nm. The reported transmission was an eight-speed Tiptronic, with quattro all-wheel drive.

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AUDI R8 Matt Black 1/24 by Maisto 31281
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Reported specification Figure
Engine 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
Power 520 PS
Torque 650 Nm
Transmission and drive Eight-speed Tiptronic; quattro all-wheel drive
0–100 km/h About 4.1 seconds
Top speed 250 km/h

AUTO BILD and AUTO ZEITUNG report the acceleration and top-speed figures as prototype specifications. They are not results from an independent performance test, and should not be read as independently verified measurements.

Why did Audi build it?

The automotive reports identify safety research—not a sales program—as the car’s purpose. The RS 8 reportedly served as a platform for trying out safety ideas in a high-performance luxury sedan. The available account does not establish why Audi chose not to produce an RS 8, or whether it ever considered doing so.

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What unusual safety experiments were reported?

Deployable braking skids

AUTO BILD describes a system it calls “3G”: skids recessed into the side sills that could deploy during hard braking and press against the road. The stated aim was to help shorten stopping distance. The reports do not provide independently measured results, so the claimed effect should be treated as the system’s intended purpose, not a verified performance gain.

Experimental airbag arrangements

The reports also describe a passenger airbag positioned at the side of the seat and an additional arrangement intended to help stop a reclining passenger from sliding beneath the seat. These are described as experimental devices on the prototype. The reporting does not establish that either design entered production in the same form.

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How certain is the story?

The RS 8’s history, specifications and experimental equipment are documented here through reports by AUTO BILD and AUTO ZEITUNG, not a dedicated Audi technical release. Audi’s official material about the R8 concerns a separate mid-engine sports car; it does not confirm details about this S8-based sedan prototype. That distinction is important when describing the RS 8’s engineering or treating its reported figures as official specifications.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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