Have you seen the latest RS Q5 test mule photos? I don’t have them, but I’ll post links below. A full collection of snaps of the car reveal new details that are worth pointing out. So, I’ve rendered one shot with fake registration plate and will send you to his clients who ran the shots.
Up until earlier this week when Audi Club broke news on the “RS Q5” intellectual property filing happening, the only prior evidence we’ve have of an RS Q5 was a lone shot @wilcoblok published on his Instagram back in November. Credit to Wilco for that nab, because it was an exclusive that put his followers and this site’s readers on the case months ahead of what appears to be normal cadence as secrecy lowers around the upcoming models.
Then, within 24-48 hours of the intellectual property name filing was posted, a prominent Nürburgring spy photographers captured the car exiting a Volkswagen Group test facility near the Nürburgring where he’s been shooting this week.
So far as we’ve seen, this is the only further set of photos of the mule now. However, exiting the facility as a photographer stands across the street is something I’d guess is only permissible now that the story is out. Presumably their guard has lowered a bit and these many more shots help inform me of what we’re seeing.
FIRST THE RELEVANT LINKS
First up, I need to place credit where credit is due and share the stories I’ve found who have run the actual shots. It’s worth checking them out both because they support the photographer who got them and so that you can also see the details I’m seeing but am not going to show here because I’m not contracting with the same shooter… at least not yet.
RS Q5 TEST MULE SPOTTER GUIDE
Now that we have more angles, it’s worth identifying the components we see-mainly SQ5. That rear bumper, the front bumper and grille all appear to be straight-up SQ5 (B10) units. Deviations at the front and rear appear to be limited to oval exhaust tips exiting where the SQ5’s quad-tips go – out closer to the corners than on the RS 5 and something we’d guess could be production placement given the greater likelihood of tow hitch use on the crossover.
At the rear, I’m also wondering if those taillights are RS-spec. They seem to have the rhombus-derived light signature of the RS 5 rather than what has been seen on the Q5/SQ5, though given the dynamic adjustability of the lighting on recent Audi models it’s possible the mule is just running a different pattern than the Q5/SQ5.
The really noticeable differences then center on the sides and specifically the wheels. The rims themselves appear to be silver finished versions of a unique 5-spoke design we’ve been seeing on RS 6 mules. That could place them at 22 or 23 inch diameter if they’re the same fitment.
Clearly, they’re also wider and that is indicative of the wider track shared with the RS Q5. Upon closer inspection these flares are more finished than we’ve seen on other widened pre-arch mules we’ve seen in the past, but it’s doubtful they’re production finish. This begs the question whether the RS Q5 will get simply an arch extension similar to this or more integrated and dedicated front and rear quarter panel stampings along with rear door stampings. The latter would be considerably more costly for production though there’s no question the net effect adds a certain presence to the RS 5 over its S5 counterparts.
RS Q5 TAKEAWAYS
It is a little odd that the RS Q5 mule wears no camo, though perhaps that tells part of the story of the finish of its design. It’s clearly still a Frankenstein stage mule utilizing production components from already-released range siblings such as the SQ5. The lack of camo likely confirms those fender lips aren’t production.
The wheels? We have yet to see them in production. Even if we don’t though, it seems like not producing them (nor the neo rotors we saw on the RS 5 mules and that everyone has knocked off) is a bit of a missed opportunity. Showing a non-production wheel on mules that builds demand and then offering them in the Audi Original Zubehör lineup (Audi Accessories to those of us Stateside) seems like it would be an ingenious way to market for sales of additional sets of wheels.
When can we expect the RS Q5? On one hand, we’ve been seeing RS 5 mules for quite a long time before that car was actually introduced. Even still, the drivetrain is developed now and so there should be faster turnaround on the RS Q5. If I had to guess, I’d place it in market by 2027 or early 2028.