Quattro gone wild: Audi Q6 e-tron off-road concept gets whopping 13,400Nm of torque
Portal axles give the Q6 e-tron a huge increase in ride height and an awe-inspiring amount of torque at the wheels
This is what happens when an electric SUV is raised in the wildness: it’s called the Audi Q6 e-tron off-road concept, and this extreme, apocalypse-ready version of the brand’s latest and greatest electric SUV is said to have been designed to take “off-roading to the next level” by “redefining quattro”.
It’s also meant to show what the PPE platform that underpins the premium and comfortable Audi Q6 e-tron, plus the Porsche Macan Electric, can really do. To ensure it can tackle even the largest obstacles that stand in its way, Audi’s mad-looking machine is equipped with a set of newly developed portal axles to provide an enormous 160mm increase in ride height.
The similarly bonkers Mercedes G 63 4x4² used portal axles for the same reasons, although another benefit is more torque at the wheels. According to Audi, conventional portal axles enable a not insignificant 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in torque, however its new design supposedly boosts that to a full 50 per cent.
As a result, Audi says the Q6 e-tron off-road concept produces an astonishing 13,400Nm of torque from its 510bhp, dual-motor powertrain. Having an electric motor on each axle means it also delivers all-wheel drive, though that’s far less surprising.
Of course, Audi didn’t stop at the portal axles. The concept also gets a 250mm wider track and ditches the standard car’s low rolling-resistance tyres in favour of a set of studded off-road tyres suitable for snow. To accommodate the larger rubber and allow for more travel on the suspension, Audi has added massively flared wheelarches.
There are new front and rear bumpers too, the former featuring extra lights, and there are even more on the roof rack to help guide the car back onto the beaten track.
Thanks to all these modifications, the Q6 e-tron off-road concept can climb gradients up to 45 degrees. Its top speed is limited to 108mph, Audi admits, but that sounds fast enough in our opinion.
The Audi Q6 e-tron off-road concept will make its public debut on 1 February at the F.A.T. Ice Race in Austria. It’s possible that the firm could create a slightly toned down, production version similar to the limited-run Q8 e-tron Dakar Edition we drove last year, although nothing has yet been confirmed.
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