Chris Harris Stages Audi RS e-tron GT vs. BMW M5 CS Track Powerslide Competition

We honestly don't think this person exists, and it's very rare a car manages to have such a unanimously praised appearance these days when most brands seem to be on a mission to shock the public, not please it. Just look at what BMW is doing with the 4 Series and the iX, not to mention Tesla's Cybertruck.

On the other hand, Chris Harris thinks the Audi RS e-tron GT might be one of those cars you buy on looks alone, and that shouldn't be mistaken as a dig at any of its other features, but rather the highest form of praise for its design. And the best thing for Audi is the interior does nothing to alter the impression generated by the exterior.

Even when Audi's lineup essentially consisted of the same car in various sizes, the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer was renowned for the quality interiors it made. In fact, that's pretty much all it was renowned for, at least on the positive side.

Chris is happy to announce that even though the finish and the materials used inside the cabin have remained at the same level, the rest of the car, fortunately, has not. The RS e-tron GT might be a better car than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which isn't just high praise, but also a case of the apprentice bettering the master.

"It's an Audi that oversteers better than the Porsche it is based on," Chris utters in bewilderment, and you have to agree that's the kind of realization that can hit the pause button on your life just to offer enough time for a good scratching of the head. How is that even possible?

That only makes finding an electric rival for the RS e-tron GT even more difficult, which is why Chris brought a BMW M5 CS instead. Given the Audi's price range, the only other EV it could match up against was the Taycan, and we already established the GT is better—better at going sideways around a track which, as we very well know, is all that truly matters. Well, at least as far as Chris Harris is concerned.

Luckily, even though the i4 M isn't out yet, BMW still makes something that's more or less in the same price range, though it does use the antiquated propulsion solution of burning gasoline. It's the crazy version of the M5 model called CS, with slightly fewer kilograms and a set of gold wheels. It's probably the best the Bavarians have to offer at the moment in terms of performance sedans, but is it enough to beat the Audi?

As a hooning mobile, it sure is. Not only is it more tail-happy than the e-tron GT, but you can't overstate how important it is. It has an engine with a set of loud exhausts for that driver-machine connection, which is one of the aspects EVs are going to struggle with for the older generations who got to spend so many years listening to the tunes of great engines.

In the end, the emotional side of the BMW M5 CS is enough to win Chris Harris over, but he does concede the RS e-tron GT looks like a very promising start for Audi's future range of performance vehicles. It looks good, it drives well, and it's more willing to have fun than pretty much any other Audi model, not to mention even its Porsche counterpart.