Audi unveils its Porsche-powered E-Tron GT

Audi announced the E-Tron GT, an expensive high-performance electric sedan built with technology developed for Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan.

Scheduled for launch this spring in Europe, the E-Tron GT will start at € 99,800 with an RS version with higher specifications starting at € 138,200. He will then come to the United States in the summer, with the base GT starting at $ 99,900 and the RS starting at $ 139,900.

With all that money, buyers will get the maximum performance that Audi has achieved from an electric car to date. The standard E-Tron GT can produce 350kW of power, or about 470 horsepower, while the RS version has 440kW, or about 590 horsepower. In overboost mode, these numbers jump to 522 horsepower and 637 horsepower, respectively. With overboost and launch control, the E-Tron GT can run at up to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.1 seconds, and the RS version makes it run in 3.3 seconds. Not bad for a car that weighs about 5,100 pounds.

Both models achieve this performance with a dual engine, four-wheel drive configuration that is powered by a 93 kWh battery (with 85 kWh of usable energy). The battery also uses 800-volt technology, which not only allows the GT to run at high levels, but also allows for faster charging. Audi says that just five minutes will recover 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, of range when connected to a high-speed charging network like Volkswagen’s Electrify America.

If these numbers look familiar, it is because it is exactly the same configuration as the Porsche Taycan. That was the plan since the jump when the GT was first unveiled as a concept car at the LA 2018 Auto Show and even made an appearance in Avengers: Endgame. Much like how the Volkswagen Group will share the German car manufacturer’s MEB electric car platform, the power train that was developed for Porsche’s first EV was made available to Audi for the GT, which will exist as a vehicle halo of your E-Tron all-electric vehicle. (Namely, it will be built on the same assembly line as the R8 sports car.)

Audi says the basic E-Tron GT must reach “more than 488 km” (or 298 miles) of range at full load, although this is in line with the European WLTP test standard. In its United States press release, Audi cites a range of 238 miles for the standard GT and a range of 232 miles for the RS, although these are not official EPA range estimates.

Despite being such an expensive car, the price of the basic E-Tron GT will rise even further for buyers who want the most advanced technology from the German automaker. Audi’s Matrix LED headlights, which have a complex mirror system that can shape light in highly specific ways, are an option (although only in Europe). There is also an optional heads-up display that can project information onto the windshield. All-wheel steering is available, but only as an option. Bang & Olufsen sound system? Optional.

The more expensive RS model includes some of these features, although its price may also jump depending on the wheels installed or whether the buyer opts for a carbon fiber reinforced roof instead of the standard glass option. Soundproof windows on the side and rear windows are also an option, as are massage seats.

Both E-Tron GTs come equipped with two monitors – a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 10.1-inch touchscreen – which are powered by the latest version of Audi’s infotainment system. This means that there is an LTE Advanced chip for Wi-Fi connectivity on board, navigation powered by Here maps, a smartphone application to control locks and other functions, and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto.

In total, the E-Tron GT is the most heavily loaded electric Audi to date. It’s the kind of thing that could compete correctly (in some ways) with Tesla’s new upgraded Model S, and gives customers with many pockets the option of Porsche Taycan-level performance in a different package.

Audi has shipped tens of thousands of E-Tron SUVs and Sportbacks, its first electric models launched in the wake of the Volkswagengate Dieselgate scandal. But the extra capacity provided by Porsche technology could help the automaker steal luxury car buyers who were once discouraged by the lack of reach of the original E-Tron (or its most direct competitor, the Mercedes-Benz EQC). In addition, the E-Tron GT will now serve as a flagship for Audi’s advancement in electric vehicles, the car that all other Audi EVs will be compared to, as most customers will inevitably settle for something more affordable.