If you’re in the Northeast and sick of the cold weather, you can probably blame me. Unseasonably warm weather paired with a free weekend was an opportunity impossible to resist. As temps climbed into a summer-like feel for a precious few days, I swapped the SQ8’s capable winter configuration of 22-inch wheels and Vredestein Quatrac Pro tires for a highly anticipated summer spec.
To properly tell the story of that summer spec, I have to go back to… well… last summer. Labor Day weekend in Pennsylvania means Jamie Orr’s L’OE Show—a gathering for enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group models and one where even a stock SQ8 on factory 23s can garner plenty of appreciation from enthusiasts with far more extensively modified cars.
Standing by the SQ8 and chatting with Thomas Mihok, a plan was hatched to change the car’s appearance. Known as “Tommy” to his friends, he’s been an enthusiast working within the dealer space for years. I’d featured his S5 on my old site Fourtitude over a decade ago, and all of my cars have been regulars at the store he manages—Audi Wilmington in Delaware.
REVISITING A THEME WITH NEMESIS WHEELS
For nearly as long as I’ve known him, Tommy has also been a partner in the Nemesis Autosport brand, selling tasteful modifications and building some of the most compelling modified Audi builds around. His presence regularly drew crowds at shows like Waterfest, and one of his Nemesis-built RS 5s even landed on the cover of quattro Magazine. These days, Nemesis has expanded into wheels, and one design in particular stood out to me.
Call me predictable. When Rotiform released a modern take on the B6-era Audi Avus design with their AVS model, I fitted them to an RS 6 RS Tribute I owned at the time, and the look just worked. The unmistakable, fat and straight six-spoke design of the Avus has looked natural on just about any Audi since the 1991 Avus concept car first wore them and coined the name.
Audi itself followed suit, bringing the design back—with exposed lugs—for the RS 6 GT Avant. They likely found, as I did with my RS 6, that the simplicity of the Avus complements the RS 6’s otherwise busy design.
Nemesis offers its own interpretation—one that more closely resembles the RS 6 GT version. It’s not an exact copy, but with exposed lugs, the visual connection is clear. I loved the direction my RS 6 had taken, and the SQ8 felt like the perfect place to carry that theme forward.
AVUS HARKENS THE UNDERSTATED SPIRIT OF S-CARS
Why the SQ8? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. While the RS Q8 and cars like my RS 6 wear their performance intent through aggressive design, the SQ8 is more of a sleeper. Without badges, its deeper exhaust tone or slightly more aggressive stance, it could easily be mistaken for a standard Q8 S line. Spiritually, it aligns more closely with the understated minimalism of the C4 S6—the “ur S6”—the first production car to come from the factory with those early Avus wheels.
The formula worked then, and it still works now. Avus wheels on an understated S car became a theme that carried through multiple generations of S6, S7 and S8 models. In fact, before my RS 6—or even the RS 6 GT—the Avus design was far more associated with S cars than RS cars.
With the RS 6 GT and its exposed lugs, Audi itself reintroduced a design clearly rooted in its own heritage. Of course, that wheel has so far only been fitted to the RS 6 GT.
With the Nemesis Avia, I knew I could get close to that look. The ability to spec the wheels to my exact preferences made them even more appealing. I wanted a factory-like hyper silver finish—more understated than a brushed aluminum look—and I wanted a true OEM-style fitment.
The goal was simple: make them look like something Audi could have offered. This is OEM+ at its core, and aside from the Nemesis center caps, I’d argue most people would assume they’re factory.
BUSY DAY FITTING + PHOTOGRAPHY
Fast forward to December. The wheels arrived, and I was knowingly pushing my luck by not switching to a proper winter setup. Winter had set in, but a combination of good fortune and mild conditions had kept me clear of anything too harsh, even as I continued running the factory 23-inch Continental summer tires well beyond when I probably should have.
The Avias had arrived at Audi Wilmington, and I couldn’t resist seeing them on the car. If you follow my personal Instagram, you may have caught a sneak peek—because for about 48 hours, they looked spectacular.
Leaving Wilmington in the southern part of the Philadelphia metro area, the SQ8 wore its new summer setup along with a fresh wash from the dealership. From there, I headed northwest to Doylestown, where Dave Tormey’s new venture, Motor Union, has quickly been making waves in the enthusiast space.
Motor Union is part of Bring a Trailer’s local partner network, with a strong focus on photography. Dave has built an impressive studio inside the Motor Union warehouse—one that another mutual friend, Adam Eisenhauer of Garage 44, had booked for the day. Both were curious to see the new wheels and gracious enough to let me pull the SQ8 in for a quick shoot.
These photos are courtesy of Dave. The lighting and flash work are all synced to his professional setup. Studio photography is what he does—whether you’re listing a car on Bring a Trailer or just looking for high-end imagery. In my case, it was the latter.
It’s funny. I’ve photographed plenty of cars in plenty of locations, including studios, but the quality of Dave’s setup at Motor Union is genuinely next level. I already liked this Waitomo Blue 2024 SQ8—I spec’d it myself, after all—but seeing it in his studio, with the deep blue paint contrasted against a black backdrop and the hyper silver wheels popping under controlled lighting, genuinely surprised me.
I’d never seriously considered hiring a studio for my own work, but Dave has me reconsidering that. He’s close enough to my Central Pennsylvania base to make it practical, and his pricing is reasonable. The results speak for themselves—and it’s no surprise that cars presented at this level tend to perform better on Bring a Trailer.
FAST FORWARD TO THIS WEEK. IS IT SPRING YET?
After sitting on these photos all winter, I’ve been eager to get the car back to its December look. Now, with the wheels back on for less than a week, they’ve already sparked multiple parking lot conversations—most of them centered around the wheels.
No surprise. It’s a timeless look.
One week in, I’m also reminded how relentless the upkeep can be. Bright hyper silver wheels paired with Audi’s steel brakes mean plenty of brake dust. I’ve applied a coat of Griot’s ceramic wax, but a proper ceramic coating is probably next.
More on that soon.
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