Damion Stewart's last-gasp equaliser gave Rangers a deserved share of the spoils at Ashton Gate.
The Jamaican international defender pounced in the dying seconds, as Rangers came from behind twice to kick off their Championship campaign with a point.
Moments earlier, Scott Murray appeared to have handed the Championship newcomers all three points, when he curled home a 90th minute stunner.
In truth, a point was the least the R's deserved, with the woodwork twice denying the outstanding Martin Rowlands in a second half dominated by the visitors.
Man of the match Rowlands hit the post and the bar and had two stunning efforts saved by Stephen Henderson.
Earlier, John Gregory's men came from behind to draw level at the break.
Lee Johnson cashed in on a poor defensive clearance from John Curtis to open the scoring on 32 minutes, but the lead lasted less than two minutes.
Dexter Blackstock opened his account for the new campaign, when he nipped in behind a static Robins' rearguard and lobbed the advancing Adriano Basso.
Gregory handed debuts to new signings John Curtis and Danny Nardiello at Ashton Gate.
Lee Camp and Michael Mancienne also started, but there was no place in the 16 for in-form front-man Ben Sahar, who was ruled out due to illness.
Lee Trundle led the line for the Robins, hot on the heels of his £1million move from Swansea City.
Kicking towards the 1,900-plus Rangers fans in the Wedlock Stand in the first half, the R's were under pressure from the first whistle.
Mancienne's sliced clearance forced Camp to gather under his own crossbar as early as the first minute, before Enoch Showunmi headed straight at the R's number one moments later.
The pressure was relentless and after Brian Wilson's cut-back was hacked to safety by Mancienne, Camp was grateful to see Marvin Elliott's 25-yard blockbuster fade inches wide of his right hand post.
Rangers' first opportunity arrived in the 12th minute, when Nardiello's deft chip landed a yard or so over the bar.
Former Millwall midfielder Elliott was proving a constant thorn in the R's side and when he arrived bang on cue to meet Michael McIndoe's cross a minute later, Camp was again grateful to see the ball finish the wrong side of the post.
But it was Rowlands who went closest to opening the scoring midway through an end-to-end first half.
The midfielder's 30-yard free-kick seemed destined for the top corner, only for Adriano Basso to pull off a stunning finger tip save.
Yet it was the Robins who eventually opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, courtesy of their Manager's son!
Curtis conceded possession all too easily in the R's half and when the ball found it's way to Johnson, he let fly.
Camp seemed in a decent position to save the centre-midfielder's powerful 25-yard drive, but the ball squirmed through his grasp and trickled over the line.
It was a soft goal to concede from a Rangers point of view, but the lead lasted just 88 seconds.
Blackstock seized on Adam Bolder's innocuous looking through ball and having beat Basso to the loose ball, his deft chip looped over the stranded Robins keeper and into an empty net.
The Brazilian stopper required lengthy treatment after the collision, which came as a welcome relief to both teams in the baking mid-afternoon sun.
Buoyed by their goal - and a vast intake of fluids during the aforementioned break - Rangers were immediately back on the offensive.
Nardiello fed the advanced Zesh Rehman in a right wing position, but Basso did well to gather on the edge of his six-yard box, with Blackstock poised to pounce.
The lively Trundle fired a brief warning shot when he fired into the side netting on 41 minutes, before Rehman's attempted clearance ricocheted off Mancienne and flew inches over the bar.
Rangers ended the half on top though, with the visitors having vocal appeals for a spot-kick turned down on the stroke of half-time.
Louis Carey appeared to handle the ball on the edge of his six-yard box, but despite vocal appeals from the players in Blue and White Hoops, referee Mr Stroud waved away the appeals.
Nardiello was booked for voicing his concerns as the teams left the pitch, much to the angst of Gregory and Mick Harford, who continued their remonstrations with the officials.
The Robins were forced into a double change at the break.
Clearly still feeling the effects of Blackstock's challenge on him in the lead up to the R's opening goal, Basso was replaced by Stephen Henderson, while Liam Fortune replaced no-nonsense defender Tamas Vasko.
Camp atoned for his earlier error in the 49th minute, when he worked wonders to claw Trundle's cross-cum-shot out from under his own bar.
Play soon switched to the other end, with Rowlands cutting in from the left flank and firing a vicious right footed strike off the foot of Henderson's right hand post.
Gregory made his first substitution of the new campaign on 59 minutes.
West Ham United loanee Hogan Ephraim entered the fray for his debut as a replacement for Nardiello, just 24 hours after his one month loan move from Upton Park to W12.
His partnership with Blackstock lasted just a matter of minutes though, with the R's goalscorer forced from the fray with a thigh injury.
Rangers grew in stature as the half progressed and after a neat passing move from right to left, Ephraim's flick put in Rowlands, who fired inches wide from the edge of the penalty box, with Henderson seemingly beaten all ends up.
Rowlands was switched to the right flank by Gregory soon after, but it made little difference, as he continued to lead the Robins defence a merry dance.
Cutting in again, his trademark left foot curler bounced down off the underside of the bar, before being hacked cleared for a corner.
The resultant set-piece was fumbled by Henderson and when the ball fell to Rehman, only a last-gasp block denied the R's right-back from the edge of the six-yard box.
The Martin Rowlands show continued, but after leaving three in his wake with a fantastic piece of skill, Henderson came to the hosts' rescue, diving full stretch at the midfielder's feet, to deny him the goal his performance undoubtedly deserved.
The best of the drama on a rip-rawing afternoon was saved until the very last though.
Murray appeared to have won it for the hosts when he curled in a stunning effort in the 90th minute, but Rangers responded - and how!
When all seemed lost, that man Rowlands played provider, flighting an expert free-kick to the back post.
Marc Nygaard nodded the ball back across goal and with the Robins defence all at sea, Stewart applied the simplest of finishing touches from five yards.
The fifth goal both sets of supporters craved proved to be beyond both sides in the final seconds, thanks in part to Camp, who dived full length to tip Elliott's 15-yard drive wide.
Bristol City: Basso (Henderson 46), Orr, Vasko (Fontaine 46), Carey, McAllister, Wilson, Johnson, Elliott, McIndoe, Trundle (Murray 79), Showunmi.
Subs: Jevons, Russell.
Scorers: Johnson 32, Murray 90
QPR: Camp, Rehman, Stewart, Mancienne, Curtis, Rowlands, Bolder, Bailey, Moore, Blackstock (Nygaard 69), Nardiello (Ephraim 59).
Subs: Bignot, Cullip, Cole.
Scorers: Blackstock 33, Stewart 92
Bookings: Rowlands 23, Nardiello 45, Stewart 69
Referee: K P Stroud
Attendance: 18,228 (1,944)
