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Recently, at our Quattro de Mayo event, Audi Atlanta offered Audi Club Georgia Board Members Jim Machul and Lars Finderup a chance to test drive the first all-electric enthusiast model from Audi, the RS e-tron GT.
This car has been on the US market for almost two years now, but opportunities to get behind the wheel of one have been scarce.
To be sure, driving enthusiasts remain skeptical of this car, and Jim and I were no different, at first. However, we agreed to set our reservations aside, simply stay open-minded and experience the car on its own terms. This is how that went:
Visually, this car is big. It appears large and substantial, but with smooth, elegant lines that recall some of Audi’s hallmark design themes, most importantly the swelling wheel arches. The rear glass area is much softer, and more rounded than other large Audis, with hints of Porsche Taycan. The front fender vent detail as it connects to the low sill line is especially nice. Overall, a good amount of individual style is still clearly a member of the Audi family.
Likewise, the interior shows off Audi’s typical, superior combination of carefully considered elegance and simplicity. Everywhere you look, the materials are top-class, pleasant to the touch and easy to get comfortable with. Everything is assembled with precision and care. All significant controls and displays are located exactly where you expect them to be. There is a surprising sense of cozy, airy calm, and balance once we’re behind the wheel. Suddenly, the car doesn’t seem big at all, but just right.
Moving off is a little tentative at first, in part because of the lack of noise. But steering, braking and accelerator response, even when regen is set to max, are all so well-tuned that it very quickly becomes natural and comfortable. Then, the next surprise: The Sound! As speed is gained, there is a unique, turbine-like humming sound that manages to make complete sense out of the quiet drivetrain. I was strangely taken back to Myst, one of the early 1990s PC video games. Eventually, this sound environment becomes a logical way to experience the changes in speed, never imposing, never loud, but engaging in a very “real” way.
As for the actual speed, this thing is an absolute monster under acceleration! Nothing familiar about that unless you’re a race car driver. As is now common knowledge, there is no lag, no hesitation, just instant thrust. It’s exhilarating! Simply made us laugh out loud. By now, the car is shrinking to something remarkably close to a natural extension of the driver’s hands and feet, especially when you’re reminded of the size and heft of the vehicle. Then, a few milliseconds later, the brain catches up and wants to control where it’s going so quickly. Luckily, the feeling of solid handling and response remains intact and reining in the car is seamless and calm, too. The brakes are impressive; immediate, but smooth and easy to modulate.
Putting this car through its paces must include some narrow, twisty mountain roads. The steep climb up to Rainey Mountain provides just the right challenge. It seems impossible at first to even get a car this big up the tight road without crossing the centerline, but again, the e-tron surprises with a level of agility you would expect of a much smaller vehicle. The track and wheelbase seem to shrink to make it easy work, even at pretty silly speed, and the car stays tight, precise, and predictable.
Concerns about range and recharging were not relevant during this short test drive, but hopefully, we will see more of the RS e-tron GT at one of our upcoming Spirited 200-mile + day drives, where those aspects can be fully evaluated.
The dominant thoughts upon parking the car and walking away: This is a completely normal experience in terms of the way you interact with the car; it is a totally extraordinary experience to realize what this car is capable of. Driving a car like this feels very special, as it should be to be worthy of the RS badge. We are both surprised to find that we’re still thinking about the experience two weeks later and surprised that our opinion of the platform has been completely changed.
Written by: Lars Finderup
