Audi has released more images of the RS e-tron GT as selected media were given the opportunity to drive pre-production prototypes. The fastest version of the electric four-door sedan boasts some impressive numbers, if reports from outlets like Autocar are any indication.
Contrary to what was previously reported,
the RS won’t receive a trick triple-motor setup as per the Tesla Model S
“Plaid”, instead getting a version of the dual-motor system found on the
Porsche Taycan Turbo, which also rides on the same J1 platform. In normal
driving conditions, it pushes out 598 PS and 830 Nm of torque, a little bit
less than the Taycan Turbo’s 625 PS and 850 Nm.
The RS can ramp up its power output on
overboost, too, but “only” to 646 PS; by comparison, the Porsche can free up an
extra 34 PS. Even so, the car can get from zero to 100 km/h “quite a bit
quicker than 3.5 seconds,” said technical project manager Dennis Schmitz to the
British publication. A single-speed transmission drives the front wheels, while
the rear axle benefits by a two-speed gearbox.
The battery is also shared with the Taycan
– a floor-mounted 83.7 kWh lithium-ion battery that Audi estimates will net a
range of around 400 km on the WLTP cycle. A 350 kW DC fast charger will be able
to top up the battery to 80% charge in just 22.5 minutes, Ingolstadt said.
As for the rest of the car, the RS e-tron
GT will come with triple-chamber air suspension, and without twin rear motors,
the car relies on a limited-slip differential to shuffle torque across the rear
axle. Unlike other RS models, this one doesn’t have any noticeable exterior
tweaks to differentiate it from the standard e-tron GT, which is practically a
note-for-note recreation of last year’s concept of the same name.
