Audi's Q8 Sport concept packs an electric supercharger

Beneath the tangerine skin, Audi says there is a hybrid V6 displacing 3.0 liters, which isn't particularly interesting, but the forced induction system is. Rather than a conventional turbo or belt-driven supercharger, the V6 uses an electrically-powered supercharger.

Audi doesn't provide any details on what kind of compressor it is, but it says the total output of the engine and motor combo is 476 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. This is apparently good for a 4.7-second sprint to 100 km/h. This also isn't the first time Audi has implemented an electric supercharger, having used it before on the SQ7 TDI.

That orange shell also has updates to show that this Q8 Sport is the fast one. Most of the brushed aluminum trim of the normal Q8 concept has been swapped for gloss black versions. The regular Q8's grille with its chrome vertical bars is also gone in favor of a black honeycomb piece. The fenders have all been stretched by half an inch, and the exhaust tips are now large ovals that protrude from the rear bumper.

Audi still hasn't said anything about when a production Q8 will reach the market. However, there's clearly one coming soon, as we've spotted prototypes running around that look similar to the concepts.