THE Audi RS E-Tron GT Efficiency arrives as pinnacle of the model’s electrical flagship, a mid-life revision to the glossy four-door coupe that leverages quickly evolving battery electrical car expertise to crank every part as much as eleven with out compromising on the nameplate’s promise of grand touring refinement.
Audi wraps its interpretation of the Porsche Taycan’s J1 platform, electrical powertrain and complicated chassis in additional theatrical bodywork with an easy however luxurious cabin design that belies the technical tour-de-force beneath.
For Australia, three variants are actually provided however given most consumers go for the RS domestically, only one instance of the entry-level S ($209,900 + ORC) was out there through the launch program – which we didn’t have time to check out – and has been upgraded to match the efficiency of the pre-facelift RS.
Two RS variants are actually provided domestically: the RS E-Tron GT representing center baby at $264,900 + ORC and the brand new range-topping RS E-Tron GT Efficiency at $309,900 + ORC.
Each function dual-motor all-wheel drive, with the usual RS producing 475kW (630kW with launch management) whereas the Efficiency unleashes 680kW when launch management is engaged.
These are critical numbers and a substantial step up from what was out there earlier than, translating to 0-100km/h claims of two.8 and a pair of.5 seconds respectively.
Our take a look at comprised street driving in a Progressive Pink RS E-Tron GT by way of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, taking within the twisting tarmac between Kilcoy and Montville, plus a quick however memorable acceleration run within the Bedford Inexperienced RS E-Tron GT Efficiency on Lakeside Raceway’s foremost straight.
Along with the excellent driveline overhaul, huge information comes within the form of Audi’s new two-chamber hydraulic suspension system, commonplace on the RS Efficiency and optionally available ($15,900) on the RS E-Tron GT (a carryover air suspension setup is commonplace on the S and RS).
Courtesy of adaptive wheel-selective electrohydraulic actuators, physique pitch and roll are restricted to 2 levels, whereas the system rapidly raises the car as much as 55mm upon door opening for simpler entry, exit and baggage loading.
Customary wheel sizes begin at 20 inches for the S mannequin, with RS variants driving on 21-inch alloys wrapped in new Italian-made Bridgestone Potenza Sport rubber stated to be the model’s first mass-produced tyre to make use of 55 per cent recycled and renewable supplies.
The S options 390mm entrance and 358mm rear brake discs with six-piston callipers, whereas RS fashions improve to tungsten carbide-coated items measuring 410mm entrance and 365mm rear with 10-piston entrance callipers.
Carbon-ceramic brakes are optionally available on RS variants at $13,000, that includes huge 420mm entrance and 410mm rear discs in a package deal claimed to avoid wasting 5kg per nook and “one of many greatest braking programs on an EV in Australia,” Mr Dale claimed.
Inside, all E-Tron GTs function 18-way electrical adjustable tombstone model sports activities entrance seats with heating, air flow and reminiscence features.
Nappa leather-based upholstery with honeycomb stitching is commonplace, whereas RS variants add therapeutic massage operate and particular design components.
A brand new flat-bottom steering wheel incorporates RS mode buttons so the motive force can toggle between preconfigured customized settings.
The usual 12.3-inch digital instrument panel plus options RS-specific shows on the highest two variants.
Customary expertise highlights embrace matrix LED headlights with laser gentle operate, a ten.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 710-watt Bang & Olufsen 3D sound with 16 audio system, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a set of greater than 30 driver help programs.
The panoramic glass roof options Audi’s new switchable transparency expertise on the 2 RS grades.
As examined, the usual RS we drove wore $297,600 value of equipment together with ceramic brakes, lively suspension and the RS design package deal, whereas the Efficiency mannequin at Lakeside stretched to $324,400 with its matt carbon camouflage styling package deal harking back to the beautiful ‘cast carbon’ end that debuted on the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento 15 years in the past.
Drive Impressions
Having made our means from Brisbane Airport to Lakeside Raceway within the RS Q8 Efficiency that shared a launch program with the E-Tron GT, our first expertise of the latter was to be a drag race model blast up the principle straight within the new jewel of Audi’s electrical crown.
Enabling launch management is so simple as choosing Dynamic mode (a brand new steering wheel toggle on the steering wheel offering fast entry to a pair of pre-defined, customisable settings known as RS1 and RS2), mashing the brake pedal and the accelerator till launch is confirmed within the digital sprint and letting go of the brake.
The brand new suspension’s lack of perceptible squat amplifies the feeling. Highly effective BEVs are notoriously – and nauseatingly – fast off the mark however this seems like being launched from a trebuchet.
It’s a sudden, seemingly relentless power that’s nothing wanting breathtaking to expertise.
Not precisely pleasurable – as soon as was sufficient for us – nevertheless it was spectacular, not least how nicely the automotive appeared to face as much as repeated full-bore blasts by the assembled media.
Towards the two.5-second declare, we managed 2.9 seconds in accordance with the in-dash acceleration timer, which was studying 2.8s from the earlier participant’s run.
Not dangerous given we had been driving right into a stiff headwind; Audi might have simply arrange the train in the other way to benefit from the circumstances however – maybe as a present of confidence within the product – opted towards it.
After driving as much as Kilcoy within the RS Q8 Efficiency it was time to as soon as once more swap V8 for electrons, this time for a street run as much as Montville and within the common RS E-Tron, optioned with the hydraulic suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes that come commonplace on the Efficiency.
The change from hulking SUV workstation to low-slung four-door coupe cockpit was surprisingly seamless, not least because of the E-Tron GT’s new ‘entry mode’ leading to it nearly hopping as much as meet us upon opening a door.
Its swift motion each up and down (as soon as the doorways are closed) made us surprise if individuals may cop a roof to the chin or maybe a discarded object might get trapped beneath.
Underway, supportive seats, good visibility and easygoing stream of the drivetrain and steering additionally helped ease the transition from cumbersome V8 to glossy BEV.
An intuitive sprint format, simply sufficient laborious buttons together with a easy air-conditioning management panel and every part completely in attain made settling in a cinch – even adjusting the brand new hi-tech sunroof that may grow to be opaque in sections or absolutely frosted with just a few faucets of the touchscreen.
The primary draw back is proscribed in-cabin storage, particularly for rear passengers, who’re ideally to not be greater than about 176cm in top owing to restricted headroom and legroom however in any other case handled to cozy, sculpted seats. In contrast, the boot is huge.
It’s uncommon for such advanced vehicles to be a get-in-and-go proposition however the RS E-Tron GT was simply that. It’s additionally barely modified from the pre-update mannequin, with a extra enticing and tactile new steering wheel and some upgraded finishes to reward the trader-upper with out alienating their muscle reminiscence.
In fact, rabid acceleration was solely ever an ankle-flex away – heightened in Dynamic mode – however the steering at all times felt pure and weighted in order to remind the motive force of this automotive’s appreciable heft with out changing into a exercise whereas speaking the street floor nicely with out being so interactive as to grow to be exhausting. It’s a touchpoint that fits the grand tourer temporary to a tee.
That stated, street noise was a bit excessive on the usually coarse-chip nation roads we had been following however Messrs Bang & Olufsen’s 16 audio system, as soon as deployed, ably and joyfully drown that out.
At decrease speeds or beneath heavy acceleration and braking, this automotive emits one of the crucial convincing BEV soundtracks available on the market. Not making an attempt to sound like a petroleum engine, it nonetheless conveys the presence of maximum motive energy with a barely menacing edge.
With regenerative braking now capable of ship a large 400kW again into the battery, leading to sufficient deceleration for a raft of circumstances, we questioned how a lot of the carbon-ceramic brakes we had been really utilizing on the general public street; definitely we by no means felt the lifeless or wood pedal sensation related to the expertise when chilly, which might probably be typically given the quantity of regen’ potential.
In truth, the brakes felt totally, impressively pure and the presence of paddle-shifters to regulate the extent of regen’ for some pseudo-engine braking offered a welcome further layer of interplay over the associated Porsche Taycan and its engineering philosophy of eerily coasting on a trailing throttle.
Now for the suspension. Consolation mode was precisely that; absorbent and managed with much more sensation of the street floor in Dynamic however by no means jarring.
Whatever the stiffness stage chosen, the best way the hydraulics nearly get rid of pitch and roll make this automotive really feel as if it’s nearly diving into corners, the keen sensation extra typical of a light-weight roadster than a 2.4-tonne BEV.
Rear-wheel steering and that underfloor battery pack’s low centre of gravity add to the deceit by additional hiding a mass and footprint just like that of a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Collection; on public roads, solely the staggering ranges of mechanical grip and traction remind you that that is one thing much more succesful.
That’s not to say the RS E-Tron GT will not be partaking; the phrase stream saved developing time and again throughout our drive. It’s straightforward to get right into a satisfying rhythm with this automotive – precisely what you need from a grand tourer.
Comfy on the straight bits (with glorious therapeutic massage seats), enjoyable on the twisty bits, able to obscene velocity when the chance arises.
All in all, a category act.
