Earlier this year, the 912bhp Audi RS E-Tron GT Performance became the most powerful Audi road car ever made (as well as one of the longest-named). The entire range of the updated E-Tron GT has just had UK pricing confirmed, and you’ll need six figures for even the entry-level version. That term is relative here, though.
The Performance sits at the top of the tree, and ‘Performance’ is an apt name – it’ll smash the 0-62mph sprint in just 2.5 seconds, going on to a top speed of 155mph. At a minimum, it’ll set you back £142,830, with the Carbon Black version bumping that up to £155,330 and the range-topping Carbon Vorsprung taking things to £166,330.
2024 Audi RS E-Tron GT – rear
The ‘regular’ RS E-Tron GT isn’t what anyone would call slow. With 844bhp to its name, it’ll still hammer out 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and hit the same 155mph top speed as the Performance. It’ll also save you quite a lot of cash, starting from £126,330.
Really, you don’t need all that power, so if you have a modicum of common sense, you’ll save yourself many thousands of pounds by sticking with the new entry point of the range, the S E-Tron GT, which is hardly a slouch with 671bhp on tap. That’s actually a smidge more than the old RS, and it makes a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds possible, plus a top speed of 153mph. Plenty fast, and the most affordable of the range, although you’ll still need at least £107,730.
2024 Audi E-Tron S GT – driving
One caveat with all these huge power numbers is that they’re only accessible in Launch Control mode. Usually, things are slightly more restrained: the S makes 583bhp most of the time, the RS 671bhp, and the RS Performance a measly 738bhp. How’s it even going to get out of its own way?
You get the same pair of permanent-magnet synchronous motors regardless of which E-Tron GT you pick. Audi has managed to cut 10kg from each of the motors, but that’s a drop in the ocean when we’re talking about a car that weighs somewhere around 2.4 tonnes.
The usable capacity of the battery has gone up, too, from 84 to 97kWh. The range is now up to 375 miles (expect that to amount to more like 300 away in real-world driving conditions), and it’ll charge quicker than before when you need a top-up.
2024 Audi RS E-Tron GT – front
The charging capacity has gone from 270kW to 320kW, so with a fast enough charger and optimal conditions, you can take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 18 minutes. In 10 minutes, Audi says you can add 174 miles of range. Meanwhile, the regenerative braking system should do a better job of adding extra range, with its output rising from 290 to 400 kW.
The actual facelift bit of the equation is fairly subtle, but to be fair, one of the best things about the outgoing E-Tron GT was the way it looked, which was barely different from the LA Auto Show concept that spawned it. There’s a rejigged ‘Singleframe’ grille, and more has been done this time to differentiate the RS models, which get a “3D honeycomb structure” grille and L-shaped elements to the outer edges of the front bumper.
2024 Audi RS E-Tron GT – interior
The interior hasn’t been played about with much either, although there is a new steering wheel with a flat bottom and a flat top with extra buttons acting as drive mode shortcuts on RS models.
The first of the updated E-Tron GTs will arrive with UK customers later this summer.
