Since its first outing in the gruelling Dakar Rally back in 2021, the RS Q e-tron has showed up in some unlikely places right around the globe. Outside of its scheduled development sessions, the hybrid-electric race car has appeared in both virtual and actual visits to some of the world’s most exotic locations. From actual appearances at the GP Ice Race and Goodwood Festival of Speed, to virtual visits to everywhere from the ancient ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru, to Pulpit Rock in Norway and even the surface of the moon.

Now in 2023, the RS Q e-tron has paid a visit to more international locations, with guest appearances in Paris, Stockholm and Madrid. In the hands of its respective driver pairings, the RS Q e-tron has received a ‘rockstar’ welcome in each of its driver team’s home cities – Madrid for Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, Paris for Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger and Stockholm for the Swedish pairing of Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist.

Blasting past the Eiffel Tower in Paris or drifting in the Las Ventas arena in Madrid couldn’t be further removed from the Saudi Arabian desert and the Dakar Rally, but the vehicle’s appearance serves to promote the versatility of the RS Q e-tron and demonstrate the brand’s commitment to e-mobility.

“That was an unforgettable drive in my homeland,” Carlos Sainz said after he and Lucas Cruz spent the day driving around famous sights in Madrid.

“Even though we weren’t in rally mode for once: We generated a lot of attention and showed that electromobility and automotive fun can reach a large audience.”

Even on the streets of Paris, where the locals pride themselves on nonchalance at the appearance of the unexpected, the RS Q e-tron and its two famous pilots couldn’t help but but stop people in their tracks – even if it didn’t stop the traffic. After all, nothing stops Paris traffic.

The countdown is now well and truly on the 2024 Dakar Rally, which will once again see the RS Q e-tron head to the wilds of the Saudi Arabian desert from January 5 to 19 to do battle in the world’s toughest off-road rally.