Technical cousin of the Porsche Taycan, the Audi e-tron GT was also entitled to a short stint on the billiard table for a mid-career restyling. The result is a much more marked identity between the entry-level S version and the RS and RS Performance. And above all the powers are clearly increasing, since they are spread out between 591 and 843 hp. And it’s even worse in launch control, with 925 hp delivered during standing starts on the cutting-edge version! Enough to make it – by far – the most powerful road Audi ever marketed. Two seconds of pragmatism, however, lead to a very simple observation: with more than 2.3 tonnesthe e-tron GT has nothing to do on the circuit, even if it impresses with its agility. And on the road, the 591 hp of the “base” version are more than sufficient. Accelerations? Already great, since 0 to 100 is completed in 3.4 s. The restarts are physical, the straight lines erased by pressure on the right foot and the pace reached is far too quickly repressible in the eyes of the law. Brief, the German rocks!
Technological sleight of hand
And this iron health does not come at the expense of behavior, really sharp as long as rear wheel steering (€2,300 on S, standard on RS and RS Performance) is included. More than on the desired power, the choice will mainly be made on the suspension side. All variations are automatically delivered with air suspension. Conciliating in the appropriate mode, it can be stiffened by changing the driving modes, to the direct benefit of driving precision. However, Audi offers an optional “active suspension”. Already used on the A8, and also by Porsche on the Taycan and Panamera, this technical solution retains the air cushions as a spring. On the other hand, each shock absorber has its own electronically controlled hydraulic circuit. It is thus possible to increase the oil pressure very quickly, in order to harden the damping in a fraction of a second. In fact, the anti-roll bars are thanked and the electronics are responsible for maintaining the car’s attitude perfectly flat in all circumstances. Diving, pitching and rolling are thus annihilated since the car compensates for body movements in real time.
At the wheel the result is as astonishing as it is disturbing, since you quickly lose your bearings and the limit of grip of the tires becomes more difficult to determine. On the other hand, efficiency takes a leap forward and cornering speeds are almost ridiculous! The e-tron GT does not have the finesse of the Taycan, in particular because its steering is a little less consistent and provides less information, but its positioning as a sports GT is undeniable.
-Not so small chests
The interior has changed relatively little since the restyling, apart from a new steering wheel, an updated infotainment system and some details. Materials and assembly do not in any case suffer from criticism, while space on board is not as cramped as you might think. At the rear, you have to contort yourself to enter through the narrow doors, but the side seats are surprisingly quite spacious for a car with such a short profile. As for the trunk, it is given for 350 dm3 (+ 85 dm3 under the front hood for the charging cables), which is decent in absolute terms but remains very modest for a sedan 4.99 m long.
Flash recharges
No matter, since it is definitely not for moving that we will choose the e-tron GT. On the other hand, to travel quickly and far, the Teutonic is difficult to attack: its large useful 95 kWh battery (105 kWh gross) allows it to display 605 km of autonomy in WLTP and it can collect up to 320 kW peak power, on compatible terminals (thanks to the 800 V architecture). Practical for claiming, according to the brand, only 18 min from 10 to 80%enough to reduce breaks on the motorway to a minimum. So obviously, the fact that we have to get rid of €128,250 at the very least to leave with a concession marked with the four rings will only concern a handful of drivers, who clearly have no money problems. Still, we would love to put one in the garage!
