2021 Audi e-tron GT GT Test Drive

Audi e-tron GT GT 2021 - title image

Audi e-tron GT

GT 2021

9.7/10not logged18 votes

Audi RS e-tron GT - a view of the future

You can feel how the wide tires struggle with the influx of torque, but the drive system showed no signs of fatigue even after twenty accelerations to 100, 150 and 200 km/h. Incredible.

24 May 2021

Audi e-tron GT Pros and Cons

Pros:
  • capable of repeated acceleration

  • excellent acceleration time to 100 km/h and 200 km/h

  • driving stability at high speeds

  • immediate pedal response when accelerating

  • high power 475 kW and torque 830 Nm

  • soundproofing of the interior

  • the name “GT” corresponds well to the resulting vehicle

  • excellent charging speed up to 270 kW (+100 km range in 6 minutes, +300 km range in 20 minutes)

  • excellent brakes

  • comfortable seats even for longer trips

  • particularly good handling despite the higher weight

  • solid interior roominess in the rear seats too

  • relatively roomy front and rear boot

Cons:
  • higher unladen weight at 2,350 kg

  • highway range should be about 100 km better (real highway range is 300-350 km)

  • Voice Control doesn’t understand certain commands

  • expensive optional extras

  • top speed is “only” 250 km/h

  • high price

Test Drive

Audi RS e-tron GT - a view of the future

I experienced my first extended ride in an electric car ten years ago. It was a Nissan Leaf with maximum power of only 80 kW. Over my many years working in Auto.cz, I have tested hundreds of cars, but that relatively weak electric car convinced me back then that the electric motor drive was extraordinarily responsive, quiet, economical and practical at the same time. Yes, batteries still need a lot of improvement, but the basis of the electric car is incredibly competitive.

And today, exactly ten years later, I had the chance to try out a whopping 400 kW stronger electric Audi e-tron RS GT.

IMG 9015

length: 4990 mm, wheelbase: 2900 mm

Allow me to recall some parameters. The basic version of the GT has 350 kW of power, while the RS model’s power increases to 440 kW. In addition, both versions can make short sprints with increased performance – RS at 475 kW and GT at 390 kW. It all adds up to a lot of extra torque, where the RS generates torque of 830 Nm and the GT 640 Nm. Speed surprisingly tops out at just 250 km/h., and it would certainly be preferred for the RS to handle 280 km/h.

The Audi e-tron GT is, in my opinion, a “Gran Turismo” - comfortable car, fine for racking up hundreds of kilometres without the driver feeling particularly fatigued. And it really delivers in this aspect. On the highway, I tried an even faster pace and the GT renders truly exemplary performance. It had been so long since I had experienced the kind of confident ride I felt in this nearly five-meter-long GT. At 200 km/h., you feel as if you were doing just 130 km/h. This is due to the fantastic stability of the low-lying body, which hugs the ground thanks to the heavy battery nestled between the axles. Another equally good property is the level of interior noise, which is excellent despite the sometimes-problematic frameless door windows.

IMG 9049

RS e-tron GT: 475 kW, 830 Nm

But we could not resist the opportunity to test drive and film the RS at an air strip that we had to ourselves for a few hours. After taking care of a few formalities at the airport office, we finally had the chance to try out acceleration from zero to one hundred and to two hundred. RS manages it in 3.3 seconds (10.7 seconds to reach two hundred). Actually, we were a bit unlucky, and the outside temperature dropped to zero. Nevertheless, we managed on summer tires to accelerate to 100 in 3.4 seconds – a mere tenth of a second behind the official data. Full throttle is an indescribable pleasure for the driver, and if you don’t rest your head on the headrest, your neck muscles will get a rigorous workout.

But what is absolutely breathtaking is how the RS handles this with such calm. You can feel how the wide tires struggle with the influx of torque, but the drive system showed no signs of fatigue even after twenty accelerations to 100, 150 and 200 km/h. Incredible.

However, this could not be said for the brakes. We unfortunately did not have the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, and after a few braking operations it was clear that slowing a 2,350 kg vehicle weight was no easy task...even with the support of powerful regen.

The high weight of course can also be felt when cornering. Although it has well-tuned air suspension, you will know right away if your speed is too high on winding roads. The driver must simply come to expect it. But what is absolutely crazy is the acceleration that the RS “affords” you when exiting corners. And when doing that, the sports seats hold you in nicely. These tested ones were not the sportiest on offer; on the contrary, they still easily meet comfort requirements over long journeys.

IMG 9009

Because the e-tron GT seats five, I also tried out the rear seats. Don’t look for the longitudinal spaciousness of a Passat, but people up to 180 cm in height have no problem sitting comfortably. The e-tron GT is surprisingly practical with its two luggage compartments. The frunk is by no means small, great for stashing the charging cables and many other things. The rear boot is also robust in size with an official volume of 405 litres.

The e-tron GT in both its power versions is a wonderful, low-riding sports car. But it is an awfully expensive car that shows that electric mobility is no longer intended only for enthusiasts who must accept the oddly shaped Leaf or the ridiculously flimsy tires on the BMW i3.

The Audi e-tron lends us a technological view of the future, where less exorbitant versions of this car will soon be reforged under the brand. And this view does not look bad at all.

See Tech Specs - Audi e-tron GT

Video

Audi e-tron GT Photos

Audi e-tron GT - Image 1 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 2 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 3 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 4 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 5 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 6 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 7 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 8 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 9 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 10 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 11 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 12 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 13 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 14 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 15 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 16 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 17 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 18 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 19 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 20 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 21 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 22 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 23 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 24 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 25 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 26 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 27 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 28 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 29 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 30 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 31 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 32 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 33 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 34 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 35 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 36 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 37 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 38 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 39 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 40 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 41 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 42 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 43 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 44 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 45 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 46 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 47 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 48 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 49 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 50 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 51 from the photo gallery Audi e-tron GT - Image 52 from the photo gallery

Discussion

To comment, you must be logged.

Next Up (The Latest)