Hankook Tire is equipping the new Audi RS Q8 with original equipment.
The Audi’s Q series is characterized by its progressive design and pioneering technology, and the Q8 will be fitted with the high-performance Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV, or the i*cept evo 2 tires.
“Hankook has already built up a long tradition of original equipment at Audi. The RS models, in particular, have long been supplied with Hankook tires,” says Hyunjun Cho, Head of Hankook OE Division. “Of course, it’s always a great honour for our development engineers when Hankook summer and winter tires are also used on top models.”
The Audi Sport vehicle demonstrates the sporting potential of this series with its 441-kW acceleration from 0 to 100km per hour in 3.8 seconds, and torque of 800 Newton metres. The performance of the Audi RS Q8 is immediately evident, with its quattro all-wheel drive and RS-specific elements. This athleticism is enhanced by Hankook’s original equipment tires, the Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV in 295/40 ZR22 112Y XL AO, and to ensure safe driving in the cold season, Audi customers can order the winter tires, i*cept evo 2 in the size 275/40 R22 107V XL AO (suitable for snow chains) or optionally the 295/35 R23 108W XL AO.
Sporty tire design
“The tire design for a very sporty—and at the same time majestic—vehicle like the Audi RS Q8 is particularly demanding. As with the other large models in the Q series, higher load capacities generally apply, which must be guaranteed at high speeds,” explains Moonhwa Hong, Vice President of Hankook OE Development Department. “That is why the resilience of the tire construction was of particular importance. We have also paid special attention to the performance characteristics of our tires in both wet and dry conditions.”
The Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV provides significantly increased sidewall strength compared to standard products, from the use of a special nylon material in the sidewall area, called “bead packing.” The two-layer carcass and the use of an aramid composite material reduce the unwanted expansion of the rolling circumference at high speeds, by up to 60 percent compared to previous profiles. Therefore, the tires have very high driving stability and steering precision, as well as increased durability due to lower overall heat development. The sporty and dynamic performance on both dry and wet roads is further enhanced by a new tread compound using high-performance natural resins. As a result, the Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV achieves a consistently high level of performance across a wide range of temperatures and conditions.
The Hankook Winter i*cept evo 2 has won multiple awards, and offers an asymmetrical tread design, making it the optimal winter tire for the Audi RS Q8. The outer side of the tread offers a wide block tread pattern, providing improved handling characteristics and precise lateral guidance, especially in dry conditions, while the inner side of the tread has an increased number of tread block edges and sipes, to ensure excellent braking and traction performance on snow, slush, and wet roads.
