Somewhat unexpected for a premium-oriented automaker with customers who are past their prime, Audi tries to attract younger customers into the showroom with the RS e-tron GT. The four-ringed company will debut its go-faster EV at Cars and Coffee instead of a fancier event, which is quite a change from the standpoint of the marque’s core clientele.
The gathering chosen by Audi for the car’s U.S. premiere is Malibu Cars and Coffee, which is always full of exotica and over-the-top expensive customs. Of course, the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer recommends everyone in attendance to wear a face mask and maintain social distancing.
A combination between an executive sedan, a sports car, and a grand tourer, the RS e-tron GT develops 590 horsepower in most driving scenarios. The overboost function unleashes 637 horsepower from two e-motors, and torque is estimated at 612 pound-feet (830 Nm) on the wide-open throttle.
Audi quotes 3.1 seconds to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour), the kind of acceleration that would make a V10-powered supercar blush in awe. I’m referring to the R8, which will probably be succeeded by an electric supercar according to a statement by R&D head Marcus Duesmann.
The top speed, however, is where the newcomer doesn’t challenge a combustion-engined powerhouse. The RS e-tron GT can keep on accelerating until 155 miles per hour (make that 250 kilometers per hour) because of the rear-mounted transmission with a second-gear ratio of 8.2 to one. The first gear, meanwhile, features a shorter ratio of 15.6 to one.
Like the 2021 Porsche Taycan sedan and Taycan Cross Turismo jacked-up shooting brake, the e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT feature an 800-volt electrical architecture. This piece of technology allows the Audis to charge at 270 kW on DC fast-charging stations, which allows the battery to replenish from five to 80 percent in 22.5 minutes. As for driving range, the e-tron GT brothers are good for 238 and 232 miles (383 and 373 kilometers) as per internal estimates tailored to the EPA’s test cycles.
A combination between an executive sedan, a sports car, and a grand tourer, the RS e-tron GT develops 590 horsepower in most driving scenarios. The overboost function unleashes 637 horsepower from two e-motors, and torque is estimated at 612 pound-feet (830 Nm) on the wide-open throttle.
Audi quotes 3.1 seconds to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour), the kind of acceleration that would make a V10-powered supercar blush in awe. I’m referring to the R8, which will probably be succeeded by an electric supercar according to a statement by R&D head Marcus Duesmann.
The top speed, however, is where the newcomer doesn’t challenge a combustion-engined powerhouse. The RS e-tron GT can keep on accelerating until 155 miles per hour (make that 250 kilometers per hour) because of the rear-mounted transmission with a second-gear ratio of 8.2 to one. The first gear, meanwhile, features a shorter ratio of 15.6 to one.
Like the 2021 Porsche Taycan sedan and Taycan Cross Turismo jacked-up shooting brake, the e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT feature an 800-volt electrical architecture. This piece of technology allows the Audis to charge at 270 kW on DC fast-charging stations, which allows the battery to replenish from five to 80 percent in 22.5 minutes. As for driving range, the e-tron GT brothers are good for 238 and 232 miles (383 and 373 kilometers) as per internal estimates tailored to the EPA’s test cycles.