The Audi RS e-tron GT: BEAUTIFUL First Impressions
The RS e-tron GT has a distinctive note. A guttural synthesized audio signature that is felt as much as heard, inspired by a didgeridoo, and perhaps filtered through the disposition of an aggrieved murder hornet. It's an even tone that elevates to 25 mph as is to be expected with an electric. Unlike the RS e-tron GT's RS internal combustion siblings, the sound isn't the howl of an exhaust when the brake is side-stepped. Instead, it's more composed, but just as authoritative.
As the driver, you also don't cry out in that moment. Yes, you sidestepped that throttle, but it's almost as if the immediacy of the launch hits faster even than the nerve synapses travel up your leg and torso to communicate the deed to your brain. All four wheels are turning by the time you've gotten indication that the accelerator has moved. Your fists tighten on the flatbottom wheel and you inhale with your own unique sound… an unexpected gasp and then likely laughter of joy. Yes, there were already cars that are this fast. It's the sudden brutality of the launch that continues to surprise.
This isn't Audi's first electric, but this is the first electric road car from Audi Sport. We'd say “first electric”, but with three Le Mans wins for LMP1 e-trons and a Formula E championship under their belt, it's fair to say Audi Sport's first electric road car is both race-bred and hotly anticipated.
The cabin of the RS e-tron GT is both familiar and handsome. Though they may sound like one, electric cars don't have to be alien spaceships. We notice handsome new touches like a fob sized ‘shifter', nowadays a drive mode selector really, plus a start button you can largely ignore because it knows you're there. There's incredible detail work
from the hexagonally stitched sport seats to the carbon fiberladen dashboard that harks Audi's e-tron SUV in its stepped design. Anyone familiar with the brand's rich interiors will be immediately familiar with this otherworldly ride. Audi's virtual cockpit and accompanying MMI infotainment displays work, essentially just as they do in ICE brand offerings like the RS 6 Avant. So too do other controls; even the shift paddles that in this case, shift up and down through stepped energy recuperation resistance that feels just like you're shifting even though you're not. Mash on the throttle though and you're immediately and rapidly on the go without any thought of gearing.
In the case of the RS e-tron GT, dual synchronous electric motors pushing 590 hp (637 hp in boost mode) and 612 lb-ft of torque are good for propelling this 5,139 lb. car from 0-60 mph in a reported 3.1 seconds. That's effectively the same as the Audi R8 V10 performance.
Audi's reported range for the RS e-tron GT is 232 miles, though that is likely a conservative rating given that current owners of its Porsche cousin are reporting more like a 300 mile range with an identical battery configuration and nearly identical weight. If you can avoid the temptation of mindbending accelerative launches, we're guessing real world range will be similar.
Visual cues for this more powerful version of the e-tron GT include RS badges front and rear, a carbon fiber roof and additional trim pieces inside and out. Viewed from the rear, the voluptuous, low four-door coupe with its wide muscular wheel arches is a simply stunning form. It's more aggressive and low-slung than even Audi Sport's other four-door coupes such as the RS 5 Sportback and RS 7.
Audi has taken lessons learned with its larger cars to make the RS e-tron GT drive small, or rather, light. The weight is already very low in the chassis, wearing its heaviest components like batteries below the floor, though this is more than just a low center of gravity. The RS e-tron GT feels every bit the sports Grand Tourer one would expect from Audi Sport. The steering communicates, the tail pivots intuitively and balances an exceedingly comfortable ride with impressive dynamics. And all of this comes with a design that makes it clear this is the electric halo of the brand, much like the R8 is the halo for its combustion siblings.
Incredible first impressions are a funny thing. When paired with passion, they are a vehicle toward true love. For many petrolheads, Audi's e-tron family may embody that first impression of electric. No doubt then there will be more than a few who fall in love with a beautiful and capable grand tourer such as the RS e-tron GT. If you were wondering whether you can go electric when buying your next luxury performance car, the answer is undoubtedly – yes. If it's the RS e-tron GT.