I will readily admit that my driving style has to change if you want to get one hundred per cent out of an electric car and contribute to the transition. With the Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar, I was unfortunately very much reminded that my driving style is not adapted enough to drive an electric car for long distances and in winter. But more on that later in the article. 

The Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar is a tribute model to the famous and very tough Dakar Rally. In 2024, Audi won the race with Spaniard Carlo Sainz behind the wheel of an RS Q e-tron E2. A car I photographed for Audi when it was visiting Stockholm and Audi showed it off before the Dakar Rally. Then with Mattias Ekström behind the wheel and Emil Bergkvist as co-driver. The duo had some good results in the stages but that was not enough for a podium. At the end of 2024, Mattias Ekström ended his 23-year partnership with Audi to switch to Ford and drive the Dakar Rally this year for them. Both last year, 2024 and this year the race took place in Saudi Arabia.

The special foiled version of the Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar that I was allowed to borrow will only be produced in 99 copies. It is therefore numbered with "1 of 99" on the side of the d-pillar. But it is also available in Siambeige Metallic, Myth Black Metallic and Magnetic Grey. Otherwise, the Dakar version differs from the regular Audi Q8 e-tron in that it has larger tyres more suited to gravel and snow. It is also slightly raised, giving it 65 millimetres more ground clearance than the standard model to be precise. In addition, the Dakar version comes with a roof rack that can be loaded with objects weighing up to 40 kilos. A bag for the roof rack and straps to secure various accessories are also included as standard, as is the storage and boot package.

The first time I saw the Q8 e-tron Dakar for real was when it was in the Audi Showroom in Stockholm. I was at the showroom for the Swedish presentation of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron. Article about the A6 Avant e-tron will come later here on carscollection.com. But at the event, Audi's press officer Irene Bernald was also on site and that's when we decided that it was just the car I would borrow for my trip to Åre I had planned. So after that we booked in a week I would have the car. I then pick up the car at Volkswagen Group in Södertälje where all cars from the brands Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Cupra are delivered to the press. 

My first impression of the Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar was really good. It is really solid as all Audi cars tend to be and the Q8 e-tron Dakar is of course no exception! Rather better because this particular version is quite a bit different from the standard version. But even as a standard version, the Q8 e-tron is a really comfortable car. You sit extremely well in the sports seats in the Dinamica microfibre material and leatherette that belong to the S line interior and are standard in the Q8 e-tron Dakar. With the optional Audi Sport stitching package, you get red contrasting stitching on the sports seats, steering wheel, knee pad and door armrests. Even the belts have a matching red trim. Of course, if you want to spruce up the interior even more, opt for the Ambient Lighting Plus package with six predefined colour profiles that take the interior to the next level. Using expansive contour lights and up to 30 colours, the primary lines of the interior are followed with precision.

If you really want the sound in the Q8 e-tron Dakar to be of the best quality, you should opt for the Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System. The system has 3D sound, which gives this Q8 e-tron Dakar an extra advanced acoustics. The sound system controls 16 speakers with a power of 705 watts. That's more sound than you often need. 

As an option but not available on the press car I borrowed, the Q8 e-tron Dakar is also available with optional virtual exterior mirrors with cameras. This reduces the overall width by 15 centimetres and improves aerodynamics. The virtual mirrors also provide a clearer view than conventional mirrors in dusty and wet off-road environments.

Like all electric cars, there's power from the ground up. The 0 to 100 kilometres per hour sprint takes 5.9 seconds. That's 0.1 seconds slower than the Ferrari Testarossa's 0 to 100 sprint. So there is absolutely no problem with the performance of the Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar. But then, as I said, I had planned a trip to Åre. I'm an old snowboard photographer, so I've lost count of the number of times I've driven to Åre. When I have driven to Åre in the past, I have left Stockholm after lunch and arrived at a late dinner and had to stop at most once to refuel if I did not leave Stockholm with a full tank. Now I left town at lunch with 100% charged battery, it was -10 degrees cold. I arrived eleven hours later and had to stop five times to charge. I can admit that I normally keep a higher pace but not so I would lose my driving licence if I was stopped. 

But with that experience, I understand that my driving style cannot be combined with an electric car in winter, and especially not an Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar as it is a little high, has larger tyres and roof rack which is not positive for the range. Audi has placed a Q8 e-tron Dakar outside the Åregården hotel as an advert. Having the Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar as your car when you are in Åre is perfect. But make sure to plan your drive when you go up and home and have plenty of time. I think this is a transition we all have to make if we want to adapt and contribute to the transition. Our old and overly stressed life does not work with electric cars. The Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar is a super cool car but I need a few more years to adapt my life to be able to fully enjoy a Q8 e-tron Dakar.

Audi Q8 e-tron Dakar

Price: From 1,199 000 SEK

Motor: Two electric motors, total 408 hp in boost mode (300 kW), 664 Nm

Transmission: single-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive

Acceleration: 0-100 km/h: 5.8 seconds

Top speed: 200 km/h.  

Horsepower: 300 kW

Range: 481 km (Not in the cold and if you drive a little faster than the prevailing speed)

Luggage volume: 631 litres

Dimensions: 4,915 mm length x 1,994 mm width x 1,706 mm height