Audi RS Q8 vs Lexus LX600

What's the difference?

Not to spoil the illusion, but at their core the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne all share the same base mechanical DNA. And yet despite their huge price tags and enviable reputation for performance, the fastest SUV isn’t one of them - it’s an Audi.

The new Audi RS Q8 Performance, to be precise, which has lapped the famous Nurburgring in Germany in record time, usurping the Cayenne Turbo GT in the process.

Boasting the most powerful internal combustion engine Audi has ever installed in a production car, ceramic brakes and a highly advanced suspension package, the RS Q8 Performance takes the German brand’s SUVs to a new level of, how do I put this… performance.

So it’s an appropriate name, but is it an appropriate car for Australian buyers looking for something fast, spacious and special? Read on to find out…

With the hugely anticipated Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series now in showrooms, the time has come for Lexus to show off its own riff on the LC300 theme. But don’t be fooled by the LandCruiser connection, the new Lexus LX models, while perfectly equipped to tackle bush tracks, are aimed at the cashed-up urbanite who appreciates an SUV with the absolute lot.

It's been almost a decade-and-a-half since the last new Lexus LX model, and in that time, the global demand for the SUV concept has gone from strength to strength, playing into Lexus’ hands somewhat. But that doesn’t mean this clean-sheet design has ignored some innovative technologies or creative design and packaging.

The new LX range covers plenty of price territory, and can be configured to handle a huge range of user profiles. And while it remains an expensive vehicle by Australian standards, there’s no doubt that it will be taken seriously by those with the means and the need for a huge SUV with the potential for serious off-road use.

In fact, the ability to cover rough terrain in supreme comfort and without sacrificing anything in the way of creature comforts, suggests that Australia (and its hordes of recreational four-wheel drivers) was never the market Lexus had in mind for the new LX. Instead, think Middle East and North America and you’re probably getting closer to the well-head of LX inspiration.

As well as a new mechanical platform, this LX also introduces a pair of new trim levels; the F-Sport and the Ultra Luxury specification.