The design: Vorsprung through design

The Audi RS Q e-tron is technically a quantum leap. And visually, the futuristic-looking prototype is also clearly different from typical Dakar vehicles. It is the result of an internal competition in the Audi Design department.

“There were many great designs,” says Juan Manuel Diaz, who is responsible for the design of the racing vehicles at Audi. “We liked Dario Tomorad’s proposal the best. Together with him and the whole team, we have put together a fascinating car in an extremely short period of time that is completely different, but is still recognizable as an Audi at first glance.”

“Most of the cars in the Dakar Rally are rather boxy,” says Dario Tomorad. “Audi is known for doing things differently. We are incorporating the dynamics of our production models to the race car. We have a coupe-like silhouette, similar to the e-tron Sportback and we’ve taken inspiration from our unique motorsport history.”

Audi Sport is returning to its roots with its involvement in the Dakar Rally. The Audi quattro revolutionized rallying in the early 1980s. The distinctive angular body panel shapes of the original quattro can also be found on the Audi RS Q e-tron.

The vertical fin on the rear decklid and the air intake on the roof, which supplies sufficient cooling air to the electric motors, the high-voltage battery and the energy converter, are reminiscent of Audi’s successful era in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The protrusions behind the doors are based on the side blades of the Audi R8. They have a completely different purpose on the Audi RS Q e-tron: they house the two spare wheels that are typically carried on board during the Dakar Rally.

The rear of the ‘desert ship’, which the designers are particularly excited about in the dark, looks particularly futuristic: the rear edge of the fin consists of LEDs that function as brake lights. The shape of the headlights and tail lights are also typically Audi.

The Audi RS Q e-tron looks like a UFO from the front. Because the vehicles jump a lot during the Dakar Rally and usually land with their front suspension compressed and frontends pointing downwards, the front section of the car begins practically above the huge front wheels.

“Every designer dreams of big wheels, short overhangs and a slim cabin,” says Juan Manuel Diaz. “We had the chance to create something completely new with this fascinating project. We took many elements from our production models: the sloping rear end like a coupé. The quattro side body panels. The single-frame grille. The signature lights. You can immediately tell that it’s an Audi. A unique and futuristic Audi. The widest car Audi has ever built. There were many challenges, like the massive suspension travel. But, the whole team can be proud of the result. When you see the car, you just think: Wow! What is that?”

The futuristic appearance of the Audi RS Q e-tron is emphasized by a camouflage design developed by Marco dos Santos, which combines different shades of grey. Bright red stripes and colored sections represent the Audi-e-tron technology. Motorsport fans are already familiar with this striking color scheme from Audi in Formula E.

“Most of our competitors use very colorful vehicles,” says Marco dos Santos. “We clearly stand out from them with our dark, very technology-focused design. The spectators will have an easy time distinguishing our cars from the others.”

Also through the four rings in XXL size on the air scoop, an idea that came about during the 2021 Dakar Rally. “We noticed that the cars on TV are mostly shown from a helicopter’s perspective,” says Dario Tomorad.