Originally Posted by Nikon1

My guess would be “Yes” if the marketing geniuses see that it increases both sales & PROFIT. It seems that as the enthusiasts brands have gone more mainstream it has become more about profitability and less about performance for the enthusiasts. Just my somewhat jaded opinion but it seems correct to me.

— John

Originally Posted by TheTurbanator

LOL, the new facelift for the RSQ8 was announced today, and it has the new badge on the back of the vehicle, but the old badge on the seats. Nothing says $140k super SUV like inconsistent badging.

Originally Posted by JD15

Just de-tune the normal S model in software and then charge another $5k for the unlocked "performance" model.

Originally Posted by Nikon1

That would definitely drive the aftermarket tuners to come up a less expensive solution, thereby cutting Audi out of that additional $5K of profit. Almost anything that can be done as a software lock can be undone with another software key.

— John

Originally Posted by JohnEnglish

I know the current RS6 Performance and facelifted RSQ8 Performance models have larger turbo chargers than the "regular" versions. So while a tune on the base model can get you to performance, or higher levels, a tune on the performance model will take you beyond that.

Originally Posted by Burrcold

I like that Audi is doing it this way (actual mechanical differences). Tuning and detuning the same engine just to add new tiers is stupid (don't like it from any manufacturer).

Originally Posted by JD15

I assume that's what BMW does with the different HP ratings of the M3 Competition Xdrive, Competition, and standard versions. Are there any confirmed hardware differences?

Originally Posted by JohnEnglish

I think the interesting thing about the RSQ8 facelift is that Audi is now offering a base RSQ8 and a RSQ8 Performance model with an additional 40 HP. Audi seems to be following Mercedes AMG with their base and S models and BMW M with their base and Competition models. I wonder if we'll see base and Performance versions for other RS models going forward.