Next level

The sleek, timeless design is familiar, albeit with subtle styling changes, but the performance capabilities and indeed the technology across the board, is simply next level. Heading up the new three-pronged Audi e-tron GT range, the new Audi RS e-tron GT performance represents the very pinnacle of the brand’s powers.

Arriving hot on the heels of the all-new RS Q8 performance  – Audi’s most power combustion-engined production vehicle – the RS e-tron GT performance becomes the most powerful production vehicle ever from the brand. But while that title and the accompanying performance figures are impressive, the RS e-tron GT performance and its two GT stablemates are anything but brutal performance blunt weapons. The level of refinement and the integration of the very latest technology mean vehicles that hit the mark perfectly in terms of ride, comfort and appointment as well. As comfortable and easy to drive at staid commuter speeds as they are at the limit.

As reported recently following the Australian launch, the new e-tron GT family now sports three models, starting with the S e-tron GT ($209.900*) and including two RS variants with the new RS e-tron GT ($264,900*) and the range-topping RS e-tron GT performance ($309,900*).

The already impressive performance of the original e-tron GT models has moved north considerably with the new range, where the new S e-tron GT which represents the ‘entry model’ offers performance and specification on par with the original RS e-tron GT – which was the first all-electric RS model from Audi Sport. But none of these vehicles are just about straight-line speed, boasting levels of handling and refinement that place them squarely in a class of their own. Some of the new touches, like the squared-off multi-function steering wheel, are immediately evident, while others, like the raft of new technology driving and powering the vehicle, are felt rather than seen. All-in-all though, ‘impressive’ is a word that continuously comes to mind driving the new e-tron GTs.

The purity of Marc Lichte’s original design is largely unchanged, which is a good thing, with the e-tron GT receiving widespread acclaim for its timeless design aesthetic – something the new models honour. And while visual appeal is very much a matter of personal taste, there’s no denying that Audi’s e-tron GT models are beautiful cars in the classic, timeless sense.

Visual changes are minimal with the new models distinguished mainly by design and trim elements, the most obvious of which in this case is the distinctive carbon camouflage matt exterior trim, fitted as an option to the test vehicle I drove (and also featured in the imagery here). Front grille treatment is also different across the three models and the eagle-eyed will pick up elements like the front air intakes as well as front and rear bumper treatments that differentiate between variants and from the original models as well. But the striking, large, four-door coupe design remains. 

Inside too the design has evolved, with new sports seats and the aforementioned multi-function wheel, as well as updated digital content. A new panoramic glass sunroof with switchable transparency is also available as standard on the RS models and allows you to switch from clear to opaque at the touch of a botton. It’s just one example of the cutting-edge technology employed throughout, yet the cabin remains warm and inviting, putting the emphasis on the comfort of driver and passengers rather than trying to impart some space age vision of the future. The interior is also spacious, and rear passengers will appreciate the significant leg room afforded them by the long wheelbase and the absence of a transmission tunnel. Even the low slung stance of the RS e-trong GT performance has been taken into account with the comfort of passengers in mind, the car lifting between 55 and 77mm (depending on what level it was on) to allow greater ease of entry and exit.

It’s just one of the myriad things that go together to make this car something very special and so easy to live with day to day. The supercar performance – which we’ll get to in a moment – has not been used as an excuse for a paired back sportscar, but is yet another element in this supremely luxurious grand tourer. Ease of use in all conditions remains at the very heart of the new RS e-tron GT performance just as it was in its predecessor, whether that be cruising around the city streets, highway runs or tackling twisting mountain roads. 

Our extended test drive, which took place overseas at the same time as the range was unveiled to the press in Australia, was conducted in the performance model and took in all three of these environments, with spirited driving through mountain passes, unlimited speed runs on Germany’s autobahns and very sedate speeds on narrow streets through small villages. 

Driving through the latter or even in dense city traffic, the performance GT is as gentle and docile as a lamb. The absence of a rumbling, high-performance snarl is replaced by the RS performance exterior sound, which doesn’t attempt to mimic a combustion rumble, but rather serves to alert other road users. Quiet, smooth and tractable, with its active suspension set to comfort, it delivers a limousine-like ride, and yet that whole dynamic changes in an instant with just a push on the accelerator and in the right environment, the outside world fast becomes a blur. Acceleration is instantaneous, the big GT delivering an extraordinary 680kW of power on boost and over 1000Nm of torque (1,027Nm to be precise). From a standing start, that translates to an official 2.5 second time to 100km/h, thanks in no small part to the launch control mode that allows a huge 130kW boost off the line, surging on to its governed top speed of 250km/h. The ‘push to pass’ boost function on the wheel is new to the range, increasing power for up to 10 seconds when activated while in motion.

This is acceleration that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated, and on sections of the autobahn where speed is unrestricted, it makes for seamless and confident overtaking of … well, pretty much everything.

Take it up into the hills (or mountains to be more accurate) and the acceleration point to point makes for the perfect hillclimber, allowing you to race out of tight, hairpin corners and deep into the next thanks to the enormous high-performance brakes. Our car was fitted with the ceramic brake system which is optional for the performance model and features large 420mm discs up front and 410mm units on the rear.
Its low centre of gravity working in combination with all-wheel steering and the e-quattro sport diff with torque vectoring, along with active suspension, makes for a large car with the agility of a go-kart. A superbly comfortable and luxurious go-kart mind you.

This of course in the car’s natural habitat and where it was developed, so it comes as no surprise that it shines. Combining a sublime ride with instantaneous throttle response, the performance GT delivers all of the benefits of a supercar without the driver having to work hard to achieve it. With its new, higher capacity 105kWh battery (97kWh net) which is nine kilograms lighter than before, charging at the maximum 320 kW sees a 10 to 80 percent charge achieved in less than 20 minutes and a range of up to 528km for the performance model.

Recuperation too has been greatly increased, up some 110kW to 400kW, and the use of the wheel-mounted paddles for braking makes for true one pedal driving in all but the most extreme of braking situations. The big 21-inch RS design alloy wheels shod in Bridgestone’s sticky 265/35 R21 101XL Y rubber up front and 305/30 R21 104XL Y on the rear also adds to the extraordinary grip as well as being Bridgestone’s first mass-produced tyre that uses 55 percent recycled and renewable materials.

The result is a car that is unflappable in any situation and one that imparts a solidity and sure-footedness at any speed. So much so that you will often surprise yourself at just how fast you are going if you don’t keep an eye on things. Suffice to say that it pays to keep an eye on the virtual cockpit or head-up display and the speed readout in all but the unrestricted sections of the autobahn. Of course with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and safety systems that includes adaptive cruise assist with stop&go and traffic jam assist, even speed restricted areas need not present an issue – but you have been warned. 

The RS e-tron GT performance and its stablemates represent the modern interpretation of the grand tourer. Reimagined and making use of the very latest automotive technology and materials certainly, they nevertheless embrace a more traditional style and elegance born in the halcyon days of grand touring over long distances in great luxury. That the performance model is capable of such effortless and incredible turns of speed is simply extraordinary and makes so many other ‘performance’ cars look decidedly pedestrian by comparison.

Not just easy, but a pleasure to drive in all environments, the RS e-tron GT performance completely resets the bar for high-performance and luxury motoring. It draws on all of Audi’s areas of excellence – design, engineering and innovation – in a vehicle that does it all with extreme confidence and likewise inspires great confidence and satisfaction in the driver. The very best of the past, fused seamlessly with the future.