Tony Stark has been an Audi driver since Iron Man 1. His first automotive sidekick was Audi’s supercar, the first-generation R8 4.2 FSI Quattro. But in his latest Marvel appearance, Stark went eco-friendly, driving the Audi RS e-tron GT.
First unveiled as a concept car at the 2018 L.A. Motor Show, the e-tron GT drew plenty of attention, standing as the marque’s entry into the electric market. Three years later, the mass-produced version of the e-tron GT was unveiled via an online world premiere, once again making the hearts of car enthusiasts all over the world flutter – for better or for worse.
But while many petrolheads sniff at the sight of an EV, there may be a saving grace: Audi RS.
Standing for “Rennsport,” which means “racing” in German, an RS moniker in front of an Audi model name means that the car has race and rally Quattro DNA (or simply, very good all-wheel-drive). Fittingly, Hypebeast Korea headed to Jamsil Sports Complex, where the first Formula-E Seoul Grand Prix was held last summer to test the car out.
With this in mind, we have put the Audi RS e-tron GT through its paces for our latest installment of Open Road. Read on to find out more.
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Exterior
Audi has intelligently captured its visual identity yet modernized the signatures – per the EV handbook – with the RS e-tron GT. Aside from the four rings on the front, we find streamlined “Matrix LED” headlights, air intakes, animated rear lights, and sculpted shapes that give the car a distinctive Audi silhouette. It’s handsome, muscular, and aerodynamic – take a guess at which two of those credentials are seldom attributed to electric cars.
With the RS option ticked, the car also grows plenty of carbon fiber appliqués – inlets, wings, mirror caps, diffusers, and much of the interior get the lightweight treatment, helping the car shed some of the battery’s heft.
Interior
Given its RS credentials, plenty has gone into the car to make it feel like a sports car rather than the sedan it seems to be on the outside. RS plaques grace the flood-lit door sills and “e-tron GT” marks the floor courtesy of door-entry lights, welcoming you into the depths of its sporty cabin – flanked by black leather bucketed seats dressed in red stitching.
The marque’s “Digital Cockpit” is completely customizable, displaying anything you deem necessary to see while driving – for us, that’s performance figures. A flat-bottom steering wheel enhances the motorsports DNA, while moody lighting continues to put you in the zone.
With it being an Audi – of which we’ve driven three others, the RS3, RS4, and R8 – we’ve come to expect nothing short of the utmost quality. It’s a fine place to be, as it should for a car that costs upwards of $143,900 USD.
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Seunghoon Jeong/Hypebeast
Performance
Press the red start button, gently step on the pedal, and the ASMR “wooong” bongs over your head. While it may not be the burble of an Audi V8, this auditory note fires up the senses within you, building anticipation for an electrifying ride.
Reaching the Olympic Highway toward Jamsil, an empty section unraveled in front of us. Sit tight and get ready for lift-off.
Rather than feeling that the car is rolling its wheels and moving forward, it feels like it is being sucked toward the vanishing point. With a standard output of 598 HP, and a whopping 646 HP with “Boost Mode” delivered to all four wheels, this car is nothing short of a rocket ship.
This is thanks to a unique transmission compiling two gears, mounted to the rear axle. With this, acceleration is ignited with force, while a harder press on the pedal makes the revs rise, just like an internal combustion engine dropping a gear. And just like the ICE alternatives, the RS e-tron GT is equally, if not more, instantaneously and intoxicatingly powerful.
But it’s not all speed, as the clue is in the name. “GT.” Grand Tourer, or Gran Turismo for you gamers. Either way, the coupe-ish four-door EV is a car designed to be enjoyed, appreciated, and lounged within, with the added ability to thrash most supercars with ease from a red light.
Elements like the three-chamber adaptive air suspension provide a smooth ride, eliminating bumps to oblivion. And like all good GT cars, the RS e-tron GT can also go the length (unless, like us, you’re thrashing the pedal). We got 208 miles on a single charge in Korea, and you wouldn’t get much more in the car’s V8 equivalent.
If this is the future, we’re ready.
This piece has been adapted accordingly. The original version can be found on Hypebeast Korea.
