2023 Audi RS e-tron GT Performance

The Audi RS e-tron GT uses the same dual electric motor setup as the Porsche Taycan. The more powerful electric motor is housed at the car's rear and is mated to a 2-speed automatic transmission. The front-mounted electric motor is less powerful and only has a single-speed transmission.

Combined, the dual electric motors deliver 590 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. Like the Taycan, the Audi has a Boost Mode for brutal acceleration. This ramps the power up to 637 hp, which allows the RS e-tron GT to sprint to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. That's even quicker than the V10-engined R8 Performance supercar, in case you were wondering. The top speed is limited to 155 mph.

Since this is a fast Audi, it comes standard with quattro all-wheel drive. It's not AWD as we know it, however, and another first for Audi. The two electric motors are not mechanically linked, and therefore the system can respond much faster than the conventional quattro setup. Oddly, the RS e-tron GT can have more power, but it would mess with the Volkswagen Group's hierarchy. The Taycan Turbo S produces 616 hp, increasing to 750 hp on overboost. This allows the Porker to sprint to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. Why not give the Audi access to the full power delivery? Because if you want to go faster, buy a Porsche. That's how capitalism works. Still, we're pretty happy with doing 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Due to the nature of the power delivery, it feels just as fast as the fastest Porsche. At this point, acceleration times are purely academic.

The acceleration provided by these electric cars is so brutal that it's physically uncomfortable. Audi says you can launch it as hard as you want until the battery is drained, but you wouldn't want to. After three hard launches, your stomach will be rumbling worse than a 30-year-old washing machine filled with hammers.

The Audi has a dual electric motor setup that delivers 590 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. It can deliver up to 637 hp for short bursts. Most EVs use a single-speed transmission, but the rear-mounted motor in the e-tron has a two-speed transmission, so the Audi can comfortably sit at higher speeds too.

The main hallmark of an electric motor is the fierce and unrelenting acceleration at virtually any speed. There's no need to wait for a turbocharger to spool or for revs to build. You press down on the throttle, and the power is there. Thankfully, the Audi has a long-travel throttle to make the e-tron easier to drive. Modulating the throttle is easy, which is nice if you have that much power available in an instant. Around town, you don't need to use more than a tenth of the throttle travel, but on the freeway, you can press it deep into the carpet and overtake pretty much anything else on the same road.

3.1 seconds to 60 used to mean that you'd be hit with horrendous fuel economy numbers but electric powertrains have changed that. Audi's claimed consumption figures for the RS e-tron GT are 79/82/81 MPGe city/highway/combined. It has a claimed range of just 232 miles. Historically, this has been the downfall of many EVs that go against the epic Model S. Porsche has the same problem with the more powerful Taycan Turbo S. Its latest EPA-estimated figures are 69/71/70 MGPe with a claimed range of 201 miles. According to the latest EPA figures, the Tesla Model S Plaid can do 102/99/101 MPGe and it has a range of 348 miles. However, Tesla makes regular updates to its vehicles and the latest claim from Elon Musk's team is that the Plaid has a 396-mile range. There's no disputing Tesla's dominance in this particular category.

Like the Porsche, the Audi can be charged at a 270 kW rapid charging point. When plugged into a fast charger, the battery can go from five percent to 80 percent in less than 23 minutes. Using a normal household socket, you're looking at roughly nine hours.