Video | Audi e-tron GT: electrifying RS performance

Take something great, and make it better

When the Audi e-tron GT was first revealed in late 2020, its sleek head-turning four-door coupé style challenged perceptions of just how sporty and stylish an electric car could be. So, when it came to updating the Audi e-tron GT for 2024, how on earth could Audi’s design team improve on something so game-changing?

Carlos Huerta Martinez, Audi Exterior Designer: “It’s difficult to polish something like the Audi e-tron GT, which is already so perfect.”

Christopher Kroner, Audi Colour & Trim Designer: “You already have the diamond. So, how do you make the diamond even better?”

Audi’s answer: take everything great about the Audi e-tron GT and add even more – boosting its range, its power and its handling, while also adding extra edge to its convention-busting design to craft an all-new line-up of three distinct models. As if that wasn’t enough, Audi added an extra challenge: ensure that the range-topping Audi RS e-tron GT and Audi RS e-tron GT performance models could truly live up to the iconic heritage and expectations that befit the Audi RS badge.

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “Audi RS models sit at the very top of Audi’s portfolio. They bring Audi’s decades of motorsport experience to the road, so drivers get the very best performance available. They’re exclusive, distinctive, expressive, and – of course – incredibly sporty. Nothing else matches them; there’s nothing more special you can get. As Audi goes electric, RS e-tron models can’t just be a trim line. They still need to be the absolute halo of the range: the most powerful, high-performing cars; the most desirable electric models you’ll want to drive.”

Christopher Kroner, Audi Colour & Trim Designer: “With an Audi RS model, we’re already at a very high level. But if we have an Audi RS performance model, it’s even more challenging to make a difference. We like to compare it to an athlete. So, we have an athlete, and then a high-performance athlete.”

Carlos Huerta Martinez, Audi Exterior Designer: “Our goal was to create bigger differentiation between models: especially the Audi RS e-tron GT performance. The clear direction was our motorsport heritage, and the Audi RS e-tron GT performance really takes its lead from the brutality of motorsport, with the honeycomb design integrated into the main surface of the rear diffuser, and that vertical red reflector.”

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “Audi RS models have a distinct look. They’re wide-bodied; muscular. They have a good stance on the road. The Audi RS e-tron GT performance is immediately recognisable as an RS model. It takes all that and makes it even better. It’s wide, it’s low, it’s sporty. You have this sleek shoulder line over these huge quattro blisters that really show the power of the car. Then, at the rear, you have these huge aero channels where there used to be exhausts. But, as this is an electric car, you don’t need them any more. We’ve interpreted this design element in a new way for the electric era.”

Subtle details that bring the design to life

The Audi RS e-tron GT models also add a wealth of premium design details that help them stand out even more. On the Audi RS e-tron GT performance, this includes optional carbon camouflage detailing for the bumper, door trim, diffuser and side mirrors, as well as an optional matt-darkened carbon roof.

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “Audi RS design means something expressive. So, for the Audi RS e-tron GT performance, we brought in special elements – such as the carbon camouflage – to express its sporty character.”

Christopher Kroner, Audi Colour & Trim Designer: “The camouflage carbon is something completely new for Audi. It’s very progressive and something unique that you can only find on the Audi RS e-tron GT performance for now.”

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “I love the look of the new carbon camouflage details on the exterior and interior. We also have a new performance-specific carbon rooftop with a dark matt coating, which is the perfect match.”

Audi’s design team have also updated the Audi e-tron GT’s interior, with premium materials that use reclaimed and recycled materials – such as suede-like Dinamica – alongside natural anthracite birch inlays, gloss black Vanadium and exclusive carbon camouflage detailing on the range-topping Audi RS e-tron GT performance.

The Audi e-tron GT’s sports seats include an illuminated logo, while the race-inspired steering wheel has been flattened at the top and the bottom for an even-more sporty feel – with two red control satellite buttons on Audi RS e-tron GT models that give you access to performance-focused functions.

This includes an RS-specific ‘boost’ function, which delivers a 95PS increase in performance for up to 10 seconds, with a countdown on the digital high-definition virtual cockpit to show how much is left.

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “You sit low in the car, which enhances the sporty feeling. The illuminated Audi RS logos in the headrest and the new Dinamic steering wheel – which is flattened at the top and the bottom – are two of my favourite design elements. They just give the car a cool quality look.”

Christopher Kroner, Audi Colour & Trim Designer: “You open the car, get inside, and you have this super sporty steering wheel. You just have to press the button, and then you go RS. On top of that, you have all the materials perfectly matching the exterior. It’s the perfect gran turismo sports car feeling.”

Adding substance that underpins the style

When it comes to differentiating the three models in the Audi e-tron GT’s new expanded line-up, the changes are more than skin deep. 

Dr Jaan Mattes Reiling, Audi e-tron GT Project Manager: “With the Audi e-tron GT we now have three variants. Normally [on a model refresh] the chassis and drive won’t change much, and design plays a bigger role. But the all-electric technology of the Audi e-tron GT gave us opportunities to be more comprehensive – bringing significant developments in drivetrain performance, as well as everyday use and comfort, for all three models.”

This is particularly true for the range-topping Audi RS e-tron GT performance, which is not just the most powerful electric car Audi has made to date; it’s actually the most powerful Audi RS model ever made, petrol or otherwise.

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “On the Audi RS e-tron GT we’ve entered a whole new era of performance. We have a new battery which is even bigger, and a drivetrain with even more power than ever before. On the Audi RS e-tron GT performance, we’re talking up to 925PS and 1072Nm of torque with boost mode. That means 0-62mph in as little as 2.5 seconds. It’s absolutely breathtaking.”

The Audi RS e-tron GT performance also boasts advanced chassis technology such as active air suspension and all-wheel steering alongside a modern all-electric e-tron interpretation of Audi’s iconic quattro all-wheel drive. It all adds up to enhance the gran turismo character of the Audi RS e-tron GT performance, balancing long-distance comfort with confidence-inspiring grip when you get to the twisty bits.

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “The Audi RS e-tron GT performance is packed with technology to enhance the driving experience. You’ve got active suspension, which fits the concept of the perfect gran turismo – eliminating uneven surfaces for a smooth comfortable ride, while delivering balanced sporty handling. You’ve got all-wheel steering. And, of course, you’ve got quattro, which is key to Audi’s DNA. It gives you confidence on every surface and – in the electric age – we can now use quattro to deliver the most performance you could ever wish for.”

Taking RS performance to the next level

Working with a wealth of other subtle changes to almost every element of the Audi e-tron GT’s design and engineering, and it all adds up to an all-new Audi RS e-tron GT line-up that goes far greater than the sum of its parts.

That even extends to practicality, with the Audi RS e-tron GT performance offering up to 364 miles (WLTP) of range*, while using its ultra-rapid 800V 320kW capability to add up to 174 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes or do a more comprehensive 10% to 80% top-up in as little as 18 minutes on a compatible charger.**

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “With electric Audi e-tron models we’re always talking about maximising range or charging. On the other hand, with Audi RS models we’re talking about performance, whether it’s power or handling. With the Audi RS e-tron GT, you don’t have to sacrifice either. You get it all in one package. It’s the best of all worlds. And that makes for the perfect car.”

Dr Jaan Mattes Reiling, Audi e-tron GT Project Manager: “For the new Audi e-tron GT we revised everything down to the last detail: the motors, the aerodynamics, the chassis, the brakes. Many parts of the rear axle drive are new, and we’ve updated the power electronics on the front axle. It’s also lighter than its predecessor. We optimised the cell chemistry of the battery, letting us significantly increase its capacity without increasing its size. Even the gap between the brake pad and disc was adjusted to achieve less residual braking torque, which benefits efficiency. These changes may not always be visible, but you can feel them when driving.”

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “One of my favourite Audi RS cars – the first Audi RS car I fell in love with – is the Audi Avant RS2. It’s iconic; it’s the original Audi RS model. And it’s so much fun to drive. In many ways, the Audi RS e-tron GT couldn’t be more different. But, at the same time, whichever one you drive, it gives you that same special feeling. The Audi RS e-tron GT performance feels so precise in terms of steering. You don’t even feel the weight of the car. It feels like you’re at one with the road. It’s the same kind of fun, but now it has even more power.”

So, looking forward, the launch of the Audi RS e-tron GT and the Audi RS e-tron GT performance is a sign of intent that Audi RS models will always be top of the tree.

Dr Jaan Mattes Reiling, Audi e-tron GT Project Manager: “I’m genuinely impressed by the fact that we were able to add so many innovations to a vehicle like the Audi e-tron GT, which was actually pretty perfect before!”

Tim Esser, Audi e-tron GT Product Manager: “I just love to see how Audi RS is evolving, what it means in an electric age, and – with the Audi RS e-tron GT – how we’re showing what opportunities there are for the future. Even as Audi goes electric, Audi RS e-tron models will never just be a trim line. They’ll always be the halo model in the range; the most powerful and high-performing cars; the top of the line in Audi’s portfolio. In short, Audi RS e-tron models will always be the most desirable models that everyone wants to drive. There’s nothing more special you can get.”

Learn more about the Audi RS e-tron GT performance