It’s not impossible to pick out the sonic nuances while driving the E-tron GT, but the overall effect is kind of lost. Among the sound samples used were a model helicopter and a didgeridoo. Audi took what could have been a dull task and made it quirky. Electric cars are legally required to make an external noise so other road users can hear them coming.
One of the neatest features is the ability to adjust what Audi calls the “listener experience,” which is another way of describing the artificial sounds the car makes at low speeds. The result is an electric sedan that drives imperceptibly from a conventional gas-powered one, which could help win some fans who are skeptical about shifting to battery power but may disappoint fans of one-pedal driving. The maximum regenerative braking, which is activated by plus- and minus-paddles on the steering column, doesn’t slow the car down that much. Unlike some competitors, Audi doesn’t offer one-pedal driving that is typically offered in most EVs. The brakes were extremely efficient at hauling the Audi down from speed The wedge-shaped body handled itself ably on especially curvy roads, and the brakes were extremely efficient at hauling the Audi down from speed - which is good because, when driving this car, you tend to use the brakes a lot. The RS gets torque-vectoring and rear-axle steering as standard, while base model owners will need to cough up an extra $6,000 for those features.
AUDI RS E TRON GT DRIVER
The steering felt accurate, and the slight body roll felt necessary to give the driver a good sense of the road. (Artificial leather and microfiber are also available as an option.) Nonetheless, the RS E-tron GT managed to get my blood pumping every time I stomped on that accelerator: the skittering sound of fall leaves blasting out from under the back 21-inch tires, and then a whoosh as I was shoved back into the leather seats. I’ve driven enough EVs that the thrill of near-instantaneous torque has lost a bit of its shine. It can sprint to 60mph (100 km/h) in 3.3 seconds - not as quick as 2.2 seconds boasted by the Taycan Turbo S, but certainly impressive when you consider the E-Tron GT weighs over 5,000 pounds. The RS E-tron GT boasts 440kW, or about 590 horsepower, and in overboost mode, that number jumps to 637 horsepower. Stand on the accelerator, and you can see why. Rather, it was because the E-tron GT is a sophisticated driving machine and demands to be treated with respect. It’s not that I couldn’t bring myself to sully the backseat with a car seat or let my kids wipe their dirty sneakers on the seatbacks. But the E-tron GT demanded a different tact.
Normally, when I get a loaned vehicle, I try to integrate it into my everyday life: taking the kids to school, groceries, errands, etc.
There’s no oppressively huge touchscreen, no undercooked semi-autonomous safety system, nothing that should give anyone with a big enough bank account any reason to pause before clicking “yes” on a purchase. While some electric cars are just high-end computers in the shape of a car, the Audi E-tron GT is interested in being a car first. The result is everything an electric sports sedan is supposed to be: fast, opulent, and a bit stubborn in its adherence to traditional design.
Rather than try to cram its pre-existing EV architecture into a sportier package, Audi simply borrowed the one used by its sister company Porsche for its first all-electric sports car, the Taycan. The E-tron GT is the perfect example of why sometimes it pays to be part of a global conglomerate like the Volkswagen Group. It’s gorgeous, sophisticated, incredibly powerful, but it is also very, very expensive. I won’t mince words: the 2021 Audi RS E-tron GT is hands down one of the best electric cars I’ve ever driven.
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