World tour

Until recently, international travel has been significantly restricted for most, but that hasn’t stopped the original Audi RS Q e-tron from turning up in some of the most far-flung places in the world – and off it.

This virtual world tour has placed the brand’s ground-breaking off-road racer with electric-drive in major capitals as well as remote regions that few will ever experience first hand, and even put it on the surface on the moon.

The RS Q e-tron represents a radical departure for Audi in its motorsport pursuits, introducing an electric hybrid drive in the gruelling Dakar Rally for the first time this year not only to showcase the brand’s leading electric-drive technology but also to further push the development envelope in the real world – something Audi has always done throughout its hugely successful motorsport past.

On its virtual world tour the RS Q e-tron has been pictured in Paris and Tokyo and most recently with its second-generation sibling, the RS Q e-tron E2 in New York.

Although designed for duties in off-road racing, it has also been pictured on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife as well as remote areas like Machu Picchu in Peru, Pulpit Rock in Norway and the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland.

Of course the RS Q e-tron has not been restricted to virtual appearances since its first race outing in the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in January. Following a debut that exceeded all expectations, the hybrid race car went on to win the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March – leading the race from start to finish in the hands of the French driver pairing of Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Edouard Boulanger. Since then it has also made appearances at the GP Ice Race in Austria and on the streets of Hamburg for OMR Festival as well as a special driving event for international press where it was pitted against the newest off-road creation from sister brand Ducati.

Most recently it was on hand to welcome the E2 version to the fold in the lead-up to next year’s Dakar Rally which will see Audi Sport look to build on its results this year with the new lighter, more aerodynamic iteration of the vehicle.

With Dakar 2023 set to kick off on December 31st, there is still a great deal to be done to ready the E2 model for the rigours of the event and apply the learnings from this year for the next assault on what is considered the toughest off-road rally raid on earth. Certainly a strong result in next year’s event will be a fitting footnote to the first model’s stunning debut and its whirlwind, virtual world tour.