The new Audi RS E-Tron GT from Heilbronn: On the road in a stealth model

In bright red, a car with a Heilbronn license plate stands in front of the entrance to the Audi production site at the Böllinger Höfe site in Heilbronn. The areas where the designers worked are covered with black and white camouflage foil. The E-Tron GT has been on the market since spring 2021 – the first fully electric car from Audi Sport GmbH. “We were always adventurous and dared to try new things,” says managing director Rolf Michl. “The RS E-Tron GT marked Audi’s entry into the world of electronic RS and, as an emotive imager, is an important step for the entire brand.”

After three years, the four-door coupé will now receive a comprehensive facelift and, above all, a technical upgrade in the summer. The Our car now it was only allowed to drive a prototype of the electric sports car before the world premiere.

New Audi RS E-Tron GT: What a change in appearance

First walk 4.99 meters long, 1.96 meters wide and 1.41 meters high car. The engineers present and a spokesperson from the press department are not allowed to reveal much before the summer unveiling. But if you look and feel more closely, despite the concealment, it becomes clear that the designers have added more to the sporty look of the car at the front and rear.

It quickly becomes clear: the model in the field is the RS model, at the top of the series. At the front, the air intakes are obviously different in shape. And since the closed radiator grille is also hidden, Audi has probably changed a lot here too. Especially at the back you can feel that the diffuser is designed to be more sporty.

Entry and exit: Audi RS E-Tron GT body lifts

“Our main focus was on technology,” says Stephan Reil, who is responsible for technical development at the Neckarsulm site and who played a key role in developing the electric vehicle products. The first changes are visible during the ascent. As soon as you press the door handle, the body rises to make getting in and out easier.

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The acceleration of the new Audi RS E-Tron GT cannot be put into words

It doesn’t matter what you’ve moved before – the acceleration is unmatched and cannot be put into words. However, this does not mean the measurable time that the four-door coupé needs to reach 100 km / h. It is the full force with which the car begins to move from a standstill. No turbo lag, no lag, nothing.

Audi is still silent on the numbers, but it becomes clear on the road: the electric car has increased its performance again. According to our estimates, the RS variant should now have more than 700 hp – previously it was a maximum of 646 hp.

The charging capacity of the Audi RS E-Tron GT is likely to increase to more than 300 kW

“In addition to performance, our focus was also on further improving the range and performance of payments,” says Reil. Since the sister model of the Porsche Taycan can now draw a maximum of 320 instead of 270 kW of electricity, the electric car from Heilbronn should also be able to do the same. In the best case, charging from a ten percent battery level to 80 should now be possible in less than 20 minutes. The larger battery will now exceed the 100 kWh mark (previously it was 93 kWh), which should increase the range per kilometer 50 to 100.

GT stands for Gran Turismo for a zero-emissions domestic car. The word comes from Italian. What this means is that it is a sports car that can sometimes be used to cover long distances. A touring car, so to speak. “That was and is important to us: the E-Tron GT should combine performance and comfort,” says engineer Reil. So the development department put a lot of effort into the driving characteristics. The most important innovation is the suspension of work.

The new Audi model angles almost like a motorcycle

A hilly country road, ahead of the road bends sharply to the left. Stephan Reil gets in, sits on the steering wheel, the RS E-Tron GT corners almost like a motorcycle. “Active suspension ensures that passenger-side acceleration is reduced and the car leans into corners against lateral acceleration,” explains Reil. The country road is getting bumpier, with nasty bumps appearing here and there, which Stromer carefully clears. This again shows the high level of comfort that you cannot expect in this sports car.

On the highway, Reil presses a button on the steering wheel that is still locked. The engineer is not allowed to reveal what this is about before the world premiere. It feels like it squeezes the writer more into the well-shaped seat as it accelerates. It almost looks like it’s some sort of boost button that gets a few extra boosts from the two electric motors (one on the front and one on the rear axle. ) The rest will remain a secret until the summer. Also when it comes to price. That may increase now that there is a little more of everything. The E-Tron GT currently starts at 106,000 euros, the RS variant at 145,500 euros.