Audi RS e-tron GT: Performance With No Compromises
After the succes of the e-tron, Audi is making further advances into the electric segment. This time with the e-tron GT, a sporty coupé sedan packing quite the punch. And it needs to because the competition is quickly growing. So can Audi once again beat the competition through “Vorsprung Durch Technik?”. We got our hands on the top dog RS e-tron GT to find out.
Little brother
It should be no secret that the RS e-tron GT has a sibling in the form of the Taycan. But other than the roofline, 2 trunks and 5 seats Audi has changed nearly everything on the e-tron GT. Starting with the outside of the car, the e-Tron GT is a fundamentally different looking car. From the front you’re staring into this big shark nose finished off with carbon fiber gills in the side. Matrix Laser LED lights provide a bright view into the night like we’re used to from Audi.
Move along the side and there’s this big air vent sticking out from behind the concave wheels (probably the best wheel option on the GT). Carbon sills offer a nice touch of contrast. The carbon roof is a bit excessive in my opinion. The RS e-tron GT comes standard with a panorama glass roof that stretches the full car. Granted the carbon roof looks amazingly cool but at 4.480€, I don’t think it’s worth the weight savings on a 2.323 kg sedan.
Then once we get to the back, this is really where Audi has nailed the e-Tron GT, I caught myself singing “Baby got back” on occasions. The muscular and wide hips really make the car stand out. These hips flow into the back of the car beautifully linking to the equally wide rear lights which will put up a show every time you lock or unlock the car. I’ve got to admit that I’ve stood way too many times at the car just locking and unlocking it, then again, I’m a total geek for stuff like this.
Thank Audi for this
The interior is very much what we’ve gotten used to from Audi. The virtual cockpit but with the extra lap timer, acceleration meter and so on. The steering wheel is a nice flat bottom wheel and finished off in beautiful alcantara.
The new Sportseats Pro are one of the highlights of the car. The seats are first and most importantly very comfortable, secondly they have very good support for body and legs thanks to the inflatable side supports. But finally, these can also be optioned with the massage function. Gone are the days of having to select comfort seats if you want to have massage in the car. And believe me, you’ll want to. I’ve had people sitting in the car and admitting they used it more often then they thought they would’ve.
Furthermore the cabin still feels light. That’s good, considering the fact that the carbon roof takes away the option of the full panoramic roof. The diagonal dashboard is still one of my favourite interior designs currently on sale. Material choice is top notch as you’d expect from Audi and it really is in the small details. Like the use of a cloth piece on the seat next to the center console to prevent awkward leather noises when adjusting the seat.
One thing which could be improved is the trunk space but when we’re talking about a 4 door coupé, that’ll always come as a sacrifice. Granted with 350L and a frunk it’s still decent and more than enough for your weekly shopping trip. However, I can’t help and dream about an e-tron GT Avant.
But the most important thing in this interior is something so simple, yet so much manufacturers have gone horribly wrong with it. And that’s the use of touch surfaces, or more so: the lack of touch surfaces. You see, it still has the big central infotainment system that is controlled by the tip of your finger. However, the steering wheel and climate control switches are all physical buttons. It’s intuitive and you don’t need to take your eyes of the road to operate them. It’s the perfect balance of touch screen and physical buttons. Thank you Audi.
Dynamic unlike any Audi
I’ll talk about the dynamics in a bit but first off I’d like to address the main talking point on the RS e-tron GT. Being related to the Taycan it means that it shares the same 800V architecture which our tech Nick will explain here:
“This 800V architecture allows for a significant reduction in weight. Let me explain. Electric power equals voltage times amperage. This means that the electric power is proportional to either the voltage or the current. High amperages generate a lot of heat and demand thick cables. To prevent the use of thick, heavy cables and to reduce the losses in heat, the current is desired to be low. The electric power is enlarged by a magnification of the voltage. For example, when the voltage is increased by 20%, the amperage can be lessened by 20%. The manufacturer can now use thinner (i.e. lighter) cables for the same power output with the benefit of a higher efficiency due to less heat losses. This is exactly why the electric energy transported to your house is of high voltage.”
The biggest benefit here is that the e-tron GT has one of the highest charging peaks out there. With up to 270 kW speeds of charging we clocked the RS e-tron GT charging from 5% to 80% in just 19 minutes. This means 300 km of range gets added in a coffee break. Our friends from FastNed provide these great graphs on charging speeds of all kinds of cars.
![Laadcurve_Audi-e-tron_GT_[Fastned].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ecace20c5773c2dcbad60a7/1631819479138-ED7BJVY5B5YZQK0TQLTO/Laadcurve_Audi-e-tron_GT_%5BFastned%5D.png)
Especially in the first few minutes the RS e-tron GT charges amazingly quick. I’ve never had any range anxiety with the e-tron GT. Granted, the Belgian network still needs some upgrades but the Dutch network is way better.
But back to the RS e-tron GT, the charging speed is a game changer. 300-400 km is enough to move about and with a network of fastchargers that becomes increasingly better, range anxiety is becoming a thing of the past.
Now onto the other thing that surprised me, its dynamics. Sure the RS e-tron GT has 646 hp and 830 Nm on standby and it goes from 0-100 in a mere 3.2 seconds whilst 0-200 is dealt with in 10.9 seconds. The electric torque is amazing but expected. What’s not expected is the way the car handles thanks to the Dynamic Plus pack. A locking differential on the rear axle means the car handles unlike any Audi I’ve ever driven. Understeer only comes in at higher speeds in the wet. In every other situation, it corners flat and only when you’re really pushing mid corner will the tail start to slide. I’d love if the RS e-tron GT had a 1 pedal mode as well to push the weight more easily onto the front axle like the MINI SE does. But I never expected an Audi to be this dynamic in the corners.
Everything comes at a price
I’m not going to lie, I’m thoroughly impressed by what the RS e-tron GT has on offer. It combines every aspect of a daily driver, ditching range anxiety and adding excitement with a wonderfully dynamic chassis. Inside the cabin is an amazing place to sit in. All is good until now. But everything must come at a price. The RS e-tron GT on display here tips the scale at 187.240€. Granted, this one was fitted with nearly 13.000€ of carbon and a 2.500€ night view assist, it’s big money.
And whilst it's still competitively priced, especially compared to combustion engine cars. The question can be asked if you really need the RS part of the e-tron GT. I’m not trying to discredit the RS e-tron GT because performance wise, it’s a marvel. But unless you really want that 85 kW extra power, for the cost of 25.000 € and 20 kilometers in WLTP range, a regular e-tron GT will fulfil all your needs on a daily basis.
