Old school BMW, EV Audi
Audi elbows its way towards the front of the EV pack as BMW focuses on replacing an icon
New M4 or e-Tron GT – which do you fancy?
How the tables have turned. Audi, until about a year ago, had very little in the way of a long-term electric-car plan, having been mired in Dieselgate. BMW, by contrast, had championed electrified powertrains with panache in the shape of the i3 and i8. But right now BMW’s electric cars are still mostly in the future, and it’s preoccupied with revitalising one of its combustion-engined M legends – while Audi has grabbed the EV ball and is running with it.
As detailed in last month’s Tech section, Audi is juggling no fewer than four EV platforms, which will underpin a flotilla of electric models over the next five years. The recently-revealed e-Tron Sportback looks much more appealing than the current e-Tron SUV, but the jewel in Ingolstadt’s electric crown is the e-Tron GT. It’s based on Porsche’s low-to-the-floor J1 platform, as used by the Taycan. While the Porsche is all about smooth contours and clean sculpting, Audi is going full cyberpunk with the GT; when the car goes into production in late 2020, very little is expected to change to its design inside and out from the concept pictured.
The platform has a performance-biased, super-low centre of gravity, all-wheel-drive capability (which Audi is naming e-quattro) and a whole lot of power: around 580bhp and 612lb ft. The e-Tron GT’s outputs are more in line with the Taycan 4S, not the formidable Turbo S.
Although unconfirmed, we expect the J1 platform to also be the basis for an all-electric R8 replacement named e-Tron GTR. The platform’s layout presents the possibility of it being a four-seater.
As Audi spawns potential new legends, BMW is in the process of replacing one. Munich is preparing its next M3 and M4, with the twins expected to make their ocial debuts late 2020. The M3 will be saloon
only (no Touring, sorry), while the M4 will come as a two-door coupe and convertible as normal, and five-door coupe/hatchback for the first time.
Under the bonnet is BMW’s S58 turbocharged straight-six, already in service in the X3 and X4M twins, mated to an M5-style all-wheel-drive system with a selectable rear-wheel-drive option.
BMW also plans to introduce a manual and rear-drive-only model for the M purists. It’s expected to have less power – around 470bhp to the regular version’s 503bhp – as BMW doesn’t have a manual gearbox that could handle more. Competition and super-hardcore CS models are expected to follow in later years.
Expect the exterior design to be influenced by the Frankfurt show’s Concept 4, setting a template for the next 4-series, M4 and the coupe’s all-electric i4 twin.
NEED TO KNOW: AUDI E TRON GT
What is it? Audi e-Tron GT isn’t a coupe version of the e-Tron SUV – it’s an Audi version of the Porsche Taycan Tech specs All-electric, all-wheel-drive, 580bhp, 612lb ft, 3.5sec 0-62mph, 149mph Rivals? Taycan, Jaguar i-Pace Why we’re excited Like an A7, but sleeker
NEED TO KNOW: BMW M4
What is it? Hot coupe, hatch and cabrio, with M5-style rear-orientated all-wheel drive and rear-only/manual version too Tech specs 3.0-litre turbo straight-six, 503bhp Rivals? Audi RS4, Mercedes-AMG C63 Why we’re excited M4s are (almost) always great