Audi Q6 concept gets 517hp; 9,883lb ft of torque
Portal axles are as old as the hills. Or they were before Audi got to them...
You may have seen pictures of the Audi Q6 e-tron off-road concept toward the end of last week when its maker previewed the ‘highly emotive’ and heavily modified prototype on social media. Now, with its dynamic reveal confirmed for the F.A.T Ice Race this coming weekend, Audi has revealed considerably more technical details about an EV that’s intended to give ‘a taste of a potential vehicle in the progressive off-road segment’.
As many suspected, the concept’s electric powertrain is based on the (overboost-enabled) 517hp dual-motor setup found in the new SQ6. Clearly, though, with ride height increase of 160mm and 250mm in track widths (yep - 6.3in and 9.8in in old money) the chassis veers dramatically away from the production model, thanks mostly to the introduction of portal axles.
While we’ve seen these deployed elsewhere recently (most notably in extreme versions of the Mercedes-AMG G63), Audi is not typically associated with such an uncompromising solution for going off-road - which, of course, is part of the point, and presumably the reason they’ve been developed from scratch. The firm says changes to the suspension links were required to integrate the four portal axles into the front and rear wheel hub assemblies (no kidding); more interestingly, it claims to have reaped significant benefits from their new design.
Where a conventional portal axle might deliver a torque increase of around 20 to 30 per cent, says Audi, its prototype has increased torque by 50 per cent. Apparently the end result is a weighty EV that can climb 45-degree gradients, although it’s the numbers that boggle the mind: ‘The portal axles increase the combined torque at all wheels (10-second peak) to 9,883 lb ft, a total increase of 3,245 lb ft.’
Little wonder it gets up hills like a mountain goat in crampons. As you might expect, the concept’s top speed has taken a hit - it’ll now only do 108mph - but you’d likely accept that limitation for the amount of go-anywhere talent on offer. Not that anyone suggests it is being offered. Audi’s hints aside, you’d have to imagine the public’s response being pretty dramatic for it to lift up a production Q6’s skirt quite so dramatically. Still, according to CEO Gernot Döllner, it’s done its job.
“The Q6 e-tron offroad concept is a reinterpretation of quattro,” he said following a turn behind the wheel. “The model shows the potential that our platform for all electric vehicles already has today. This vehicle can claim new ground. We look forward to seeing our customers’ reactions to this highly emotive car.”
I guess they sell ultimately though - which is the ultimate point of making cars.
Looks like they wanted some of the 'Look at me!' attention that Mercedes got when they did it.
Choice is a good thing.
Yay.
even my 1.0l polo does 1000lbft at the axle.
Certainly in the BEV world torque at axles should be more frequently mentioned
Yay.
even my 1.0l polo does 1000lbft at the axle.
Certainly in the BEV world torque at axles should be more frequently mentioned
My point was quoting torque at the wheel to try to amaze people as to the massive amount of torque this vehicle has is b
ks without explaining what they are measuring and why.I have always argued that quoting the torque output of the primary mover is largely pointless and so is this.
Went the wrong way and ended up on a badly rutted rough track on snow and ice and I must say, it performed exceptionally well. I normally put confidence above ability
but even I was wondering if I could make it, but plenty of ground clearance and good all weather tyres meant it coped really well for a fwd fake 
Not my cup of tea but she likes it for its elevated driving position (really useful in the Lakes) and it does the job. My polo certainly would not have made it.
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