We Want This Portal-Axled Audi Q6 E-Tron To Be A Real Thing

When we think about the Audi Q6 E-Tron (and we’ll be honest, we don’t think about it that often), our first reaction is… eh. We drove the mid-sized electric crossover on its launch last year, and we found, as this kind of car so often is, that it was basically fine.

Something has got us more interested in the car, though: it’s this, the Q6 E-Tron Offroad Concept, and it’s been built by the Audi Sport performance division because… well, we don’t really know. But gosh, doesn’t it look cool?

It’s based on the inexplicable sloping-roofed Sportback version of the Q6 E-Tron, and while we don’t have in-depth tech specs yet, what we do know is that it has portal axles. These, in short, allow the axles to sit well above the level of the wheel hub, with an intricate system of gears transferring motion from the axles to the wheels. This all allows a car’s ground clearance to be massively upped.

The last time we saw such a system in a road car of note was the rather imposing Mercedes G500 4x4², and the same effect is achieved here, with the Q6 towering over the road with plenty of clear air between the underside and the ground. That setup also allows for the fitment of some extremely chonky off-road rubber, with the Q6 gaining some beefy arch flares to accommodate it.

Other visual changes include a roof rack and LED spotlights aplenty, but that’s about all we can discern for now. We have to assume it’s based on one of the dual-motor, four-wheel drive versions of the Q6, which would mean either 383bhp in regular Quattro guise or 483bhp in SQ6 form.

So, when are you going to be able to head into your nearest Audi dealer and buy one of these, laughing in the face of mountains and rivers (or more realistically, potholes and speed bumps)? Erm, probably never. It’s very much just a concept. However, back in September last year, spy photos emerged of what are pretty clearly this car testing in full camo. It’s somewhat unusual for something that’s purely a concept to get such a thorough testing programme, so we’re holding out hope that Audi could be planning something cool here.