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December 15, 2021
Test drive of the Audi e-tron GT: In a word, it's a car that feels good to drive | Audi
Audi e-tron GT quattro | Audi e-tron GT quattro
Audi RS e-tron GT | Audi RS e-tron GT
Test Drive of Audi's High-Performance BEV "e-tron GT"
Audi, pushing forward with the electrification of its lineup, has introduced its long-awaited BEV flagship model, the "e-tron GT." We test-drove the two models introduced in Japan: the e-tron GT quattro and the even higher-performance RS e-tron GT.
Text by OGAWA Fumio | Photographs by Audi Japan
A Driving Sensation Unmistakable from Internal Combustion Sports Cars
The Audi e-tron GT has finally begun to roll out in Japan. We had the chance to drive the sporty four-door coupe, announced in February 2021, in mid-October. It's an astonishingly well-executed car, and it left me impressed with how good pure EV sports models can be!
The models released in Japan are the Audi e-tron GT quattro and the more powerful RS e-tron GT. Both are all-wheel-drive vehicles with an electric motor at the front and rear, and feature a four-door coupe design with a relatively generous length of 4990mm. The styling strongly conveys a sporty impression.
In a word, it's a car that feels good to drive. Pure EVs are characterized by the smooth acceleration provided by their powerful electric motors, but the e-tron GT incorporates the feel of a large-displacement engine sports car. In that sense, it's both new and, in a good way, old. It offers a different sensation from the "e-tron" and "e-tron Sportback" models.
The e-tron GT boasts a maximum output of 390 kW and a peak torque of 640 Nm. The RS e-tron GT delivers 475 kW and 830 Nm. Both models fully deliver on the performance promised by these figures. The acceleration when you press the accelerator pedal is rocket-like, so much so that you might think the speedometer is on fast-forward. This is a characteristic of electric motors, which deliver maximum torque instantaneously.
What I found interesting was the subtle, continuous vibration I could feel through the sole of my foot on the accelerator pedal, almost as if an engine were running.
Although I confirmed with Audi Japan's technical representatives, it remains unclear whether Audi intentionally creates this vibration. It's possible it's my imagination. However, this seems to contribute to a driving sensation that feels natural even when switching from an internal combustion engine sports car.
The RS e-tron GT offers an optional "Technology Package" which includes acoustic glass for enhanced sound insulation and brighter LED lighting, along with a technology called "e-tron Sport Sound." This system synthesizes and plays engine-like sounds through the audio system. It's quite exhilarating.