Audi’s engineers have taken the e-tron GT
to the Nürburgring for some proper dynamic testing, setting it loose on the
Nordschleife in what is understood to be a premiere for the model. Previewed by
a concept at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, it will be a sister car to the
Porsche Taycan, sharing its platform and most of the technology features, such
as rear-wheel steering and torque vectoring for faster cornering.
A 96 kWh battery pack is expected to power
the dual electric motors at first, with additional powertrains to follow. The
model is believed to have a driving range of around 400-km in the
WLTP cycle; it’s also expected to support 350 kW fast charging, taking as little
as 20 minutes to obtain an 80 percent charge.
From a performance standpoint, it should
stay close to the e-tron GT study, which had a combined output of 582 HP, needed 3.5 seconds to sprint to 100 km/h and maxed out
at 240 km/h. Visually, it will be very close to the show car,
retaining its proportions and mirroring its styling, including the front and
rear lighting units, sloping roofline and muscular shoulders. It will also have
generous interior space for four adults and a plethora of tech.
Rumors indicated the e-tron GT was
supposed to premiere at the 2020 Los Angeles Auto Show this fall, but that was
before the event was rescheduled for May 21-31, 2021. In all likelihood, it
will debut before the end of the year, with the first units probably arriving
in dealer lots in the first quarter of 2021.
